Rebirth of the Treacherous Official’s Madam

Tianxu year 14, seventeenth of the sixth month, this day, for Yu Lingxin, really was a very surreal day.

Starting from getting woken up by Ganlu and Shuangye in the morning, her entire person was all somewhat dizzy.

Because the night before, Yu Lingxin truly didn’t sleep too well. All kinds of scenery from the past life and this life, the bitter and sweet past, all bubbled up inside. She was clearly aware that the past old dreams don’t need to be mentioned anymore. Those tragedies absolutely won’t have the opportunity to recur, and everything before her eyes right now was what was real, the flourishing spring blossoms that they’ve steadily walked to step by step until now. But, she still tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. In fact, by the second watch of the night^[1], when she still hasn’t fallen asleep, she just got up and took out the engagement document to look over again and again.

In the end, it was still the handwriting on that marriage contract that let Yu Lingxin settle down inside. When she saw it at first glance, she just knew that it was personally handwritten by Xun Che. Moreover, the vigor of his strokes in this life actually was actually different from the past life. Because of lacking that weak and sickly constitution, his wrist was much more steady, thus his handwriting was also even more refined and bold.

But even if finally sleeping, she similarly tossed and turned in her dreams. Although there weren’t any mournful scenes, there were still too many people in her heart, her grandmother, her father, her little sister Kou Yuluo far away in the Jiang province, and also Xun Ying, Ming Jinrou, Cheng Yanling, Xun Cong, Ming Jincheng, and so on, don’t know what their marriage will be like in this life. All in all, it was a night of a hundred dreams overlapping, tossing and turning, unable to sleep peacefully, seemingly stuck in a half-dreaming and half-awake state. All the way until near dawn did it finally get better.

However, just as it reached the chen^[2] hour, the servant girls just quickly entered and began waking up Yu Lingxin to get ready. Although her eyes were open, her entire person was still in a daze. As such, she just let the people by her side mess around.

In reality, Yu Lingxin indeed didn’t need to worry about the marriage rites too much. Even Yu old madam and Su-shi both just followed along and watched. Because previously, when it came to preparing the bridal chamber, the Grand Elder Princess Manor had already sent a female official to help, they just decided to help out to the end for today’s formal wedding ceremony. Madam Cheng and Cheng Yanling, as the maiden family relatives, just came over to help out in the morning, even bringing along two female officials and four mamas of the princess manor.

All the items needed for the day of the wedding were long prepared. The good fortune madam^[3] invited was the Head Minister of Justice Chen Min’s madam, Yan-shi. Carving the face^[4], combing the hair, applying the makeup, and changing the clothes, this series of procedures, under the princess manor’s female officials and mamas’ guidance, went by very smooth like the moving clouds and flowing water.

When it came time to put on the pearl crown and head ornaments, according to custom, the bride’s maiden family sisters and close friends of the boudoir should come to Lianyi Residence to visit once more, sending off for the last time. But, Yu Lingxin’s closest friends in realty were Ming Jinrou and Xun Ying. The two of them at present were both waiting at the Xun manor, so the ones that came over instead were just Yu Yunxin, Qi Pei, and Su-shi’s niece, Su Hanwei. Additionally, there were also three distant relatives of the Yu family that she was very unfamiliar with.

Seeing these few enter the door, Ganlu and Shuangye couldn’t help but mutually share a glance, both a bit on guard. Yu Lingxin was actually rather relaxed. Although she wasn’t considered too close with them, even having some subtle disagreements, there ultimately weren’t any true grudges. Most importantly, Cheng Yanling was currently still present.

With Duanyi Xianzhu alone watching over, that really was like an army of a thousand soldiers and horses. She even felt that later, when the groom’s party arrive, afraid that it won’t be that easy to enter the door.

Sure enough, the young ladies still knew how to maintain the surface relationship, each and everyone coming into congratulate and tease. Seeing Yu Lingxin’s bright red hundred fortune dress embroidered with the luan^[5] in gold threads, and that golden crown with pearls, they all very much complimented, the liveliness matching the occasion. What was a bit peculiar among them was probably just Qi Pei’s words having a bit of a restrained feeling, as if silently enduring, while Su Hanwei’s envy was practically through the roof.

And later, when they heard that Yu Lingxin’s dowry wasn’t the sixty-four chests discussed previously when adding to her dowry, but instead the already fully packed one hundred and twenty-eight chests worth more than thirty thousand taels, their surprise and envy were already about to leak out from their eyes.

However, this was also part of the rich and festive atmosphere. The inside of Lianyi Residence was very cheerful and lively for a good while. Yu Lingxin’s makeup and hair ornaments finished up one by one. The female official of the princess manor checked the time and invited all the young ladies out, also inviting in the good fortune madam to put on the veil for Yu Lingxin.

From here, Yu Lingxin could only see a sheet of bright red before her eyes. When lowering her eyes, she saw her own fair and dainty hands overlapping in one place. On her two wrists was that pair of gold ruby bracelets that her grandmother had given her. Just thinking about how she will soon leave home, her heart just somewhat churned again. But, recalling Xun Che, her face also somewhat heated up. All in all, while quietly waiting in her room, her feelings inside were very complicated.

A little less than an hour later, the firecrackers and music finally sounded outside. Ganlu and Shuangye both stayed inside Lianyi Residence to keep Yu Lingxin company. The lively Gancao was instead together with Bai Guo, running back and forth to the main entrance to have the liveliness at the door reported back to Lianyi Residence, “The heir brought a very long line of people to come escort! However, xianzhu led the eldest young master and Gentleman Qi in blocking the door tightly!”

(T/N: Yu family’s eldest young master is Yu Zhengshan.)

TN: All translations outside of are stolen and reposted without permission!

“Gentleman Qi came up with several poetry pairing questions for the heir!”

“The eldest young master instantly got stumped by the Jiang family young master that the heir brought!”

“Gentleman Qi’s poem got beat by the heir’s!”

“The heir even invited the Ying Duke Manor’s Lou young master over! The eldest young master thoroughly lost!”

“Xianzhu is going to compete in martial arts with the Ming family eldest young master!”

When the front mentioned how Xun Che invited the Lou family and Jiang family young masters, these good friends of his, to come pick up the bride together, towards the ‘makeup rushing’ poems^[6] and whatnot, Yu Lingxin just smilingly listened. Those friends of Xun Che’s, she’d already met more than half in the past life. Her wedding in the past life, although wasn’t as grand as this life’s, the Wen’an Marquis Manor nevertheless gave her enough honor. Because of Xun Che’s body, he although was unable to personally come pick her up, he still invited the Jiang and Lou family young masters to come help. The ceremonial music, the firecrackers, and poems, all were present.

But, when they said that Cheng Yanling wanted to compete with Ming Jincheng in martial arts, even Yu Lingxin became curious. Amidst the excitement, she almost lifted the veil to ask for the details. Fortunately, Shuangye immediately stopped her, “My great ancestor, even if you’re stuffy, you still can’t lift the veil on your own!”

Yu Lingxin laughed, “Not really, I’m just curious.”

Generally speaking, for military families, when marrying, those that weren’t skilled in literature and poetry won’t bother too much with reciting poetry at the door, instead letting the groom, or the friends the groom brought along, exchange a few moves with the bride’s relatives, or perform a few moves, just for the sake of adding to the excitement.

But, Cheng Yanling wants to exchange moves with Ming Jincheng?

Recalling their skill level, as well as the subtle relationship between them, how could Yu Lingxin not be tempted!

However, she didn’t get to be excited for too long either, because very soon, she just heard that Ming Jincheng had narrowly won by one move, plucking the pearl bead by Cheng Yanling’s hair. As such, the groom’s party was finally able to enter the door.

As the ceremonial music increasingly approached Lianyi Residence, Yu Lingxin’s heartbeat also began accelerating. In practically less than a cup of tea’s time, the music just reached her boudoir door, and that familiar footstep sound also entered her ears. The matron of honor said all kinds of auspicious words to congratulate, while having the bright red brocade flower placed in Yu Lingxin’s hand. Shuangye and Ganlu then supported her to get up.

Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but tighten her grip. In the last lifetime, she’d held the exact same flower brocade in hand. Just, at the time, Xun Che was unable to come pick her up, so she just held that foot long red brocade on her own to fill in for the ritual.

But, at this time, Xun Che was finally standing two steps away at the other end of the flower brocade, leading her step by step towards the bridal sedan.

Yu Lingxin’s nose couldn’t help but somewhat turn sour, forcibly adjusting her breathing for a good while. However, just as she’d calmed down a little, they just arrived at the Yu manor main hall, needing to bid farewell to her grandmother and father.

Separated by the red silk veil, Yu Lingxin was completely unable to see Yu old madam and Yu Bocheng’s expression, but hearing the tearful sound that simply couldn’t be restrained in their warm words, she still couldn’t help but shed tears. After deeply kowtowing three times, she got supported up by her servant girl and the matron of honor, and headed out with Xun Che.

At the second gate, the bridal sedan chair, firecrackers, and such were all waiting there. Yu Zhengshan, who has currently grown another inch taller, had already wiped away the tears on his face, personally carrying his older sister onto the sedan. Yu Lingxin truly was unable to speak, just quickly pressing Yu Zhengshan’s shoulder.

Yu Zhengshan bowed and said, “Don’t worry eldest sister, there’s me at home.”

Hearing these words, inside the sedan, Yu Lingxin once again shed tears. At the same time, the dragon and phoenix bright red bridal sedan also finally set off.

With the ceremonial music in front, the armored guards in the back, and the ceremonial banners to the right and left, after the bridal escort party went around onto the main street, the dowry crew draped in red silk also began following along. An entire one hundred and twenty-eight chests of dowry, just the lifters, there was already two hundred and fifty-six people. In addition to the accompanying dowry servants, and such, this procession already had more than three hundred people. Additionally, the Xun manor and Yu manor actually weren’t that far apart, so when the bridal procession in front entered the Wen’an Marquis Manor, the last chest of dowry at the very end of the line practically just reached the main street.

This kind of glorious ten li^[7] of dowry afterwards got discussed by the noble families of the capital for a very long time. However, these were all later talk. For Yu Lingxin, as the bridal sedan entered the Xun manor, her feelings already gradually changed from the sadness previously to nervousness.

She felt that she seemingly shouldn’t be nervous. She was once Madam Xun for fifteen years! Shouldn’t this be a walk in the park?

However, this wasn’t the case. Following the master of ceremonies and the ceremonial music, bowing three times with Xun Che in the main hall, every step she took, she just grew a bit more nervous. Once she got sent into the bridal chamber, sitting on the bed, when all the rites were completed one by one, Yu Lingxin felt that she was just somewhat dizzy.

And at this time, her veil finally got lifted by Xun Che amidst the matron of honor’s congratulations, as well as amongst the cheers from the friends and relatives.

Yu Lingxin instinctively shivered, and immediately lifted her eyes to look at Xun Che.

His face was actually red too.

In that moment, Yu Lingxin strangely relaxed, even smiling.

At this time, the friends and relatives that came to tease immediately just started laughing. Xun Che and Yu Lingxin both somewhat embarrassingly lowered their head and averted their eyes again. After a few teasing words and roars of laughter, as well as praises towards the bride’s beauty, the usual excitement, the guests very tactfully followed the master of ceremonies out. As for the matron of honor, she offered up two cups of wine for the newlywed, watching them cross arms and down the wine. After saying the last auspicious words of living a long and happy marriage, she also retreated out.

At this time, inside the bridal chamber, with the dragon and phoenix candles shining upon the bed, there was just Xun Che and Yu Lingxin left.

[1] Second of the five night watch periods 9-11pm. In ancient times, the night was divided into five periods, from 7pm to 5am. Additionally, at each night watch period, there were people that went around the city clapping sticks or instruments to warn people to be careful of the candlelight fire at night.

[2] Chen hour (辰时) – 7-9am

[3] The good fortune madam is usually an elder whose parents are still alive and have both sons and daughters. The idea is that their presence can help bless the new bride to be just as fortunate.

[4] Removing the facial hairs and trimming the hairline

[5] Mythical bird related to the phoenix

[6] By custom, when the groom comes to pick up the bride, he will recite poems outside to urge to bride to hurry up with the makeup, basically telling the bride to quickly come out.

[7] 1 li = approx. 500m