Rebirth of the Treacherous Official’s Madam

Carrying these various kinds of expectation, on the seventeenth of the ninth month, the families that went around visiting relatives that day in the capital were particularly many, especially those near Qin Wang Manor.

And this eldest imperial prince, who was the first to marry, also didn’t let the zealous neighbors and the numerous officials be disappointed. As soon as the morning mealtime passed, Qin Wang Manor’s front gate and side corner gate just opened one after another.

The junwang standard horse carriage, gilded with lucky grass patterns^[1], came out the front gate. In front, there were four guards clearing the way on horseback. In the rear, there were eight manor servants carrying gifts, as well as an additional eight accompanying guards. The loftiness of this escort entourage for the bride’s first return to the maiden home was also extremely grand.

And after waiting for another quarter of an hour, Side Consort Deng and Liangyuan Wen who were permitted to go out from the corner gate, just like how they’d entered the manor, each with a mama and secretary of the manor following along, carrying a trunk of presents, also soundlessly went out.

Comparing the two sides, Side Consort Deng and Liangyuan Wen’s treatment seemingly didn’t have any differences. One was unable to make out the slightest bit more of jubilation from either family. All the glory and grandeur were still completely directed towards the Jin Duke Manor Ming family.

Towards the bride’s first return, the Ming family naturally were also extremely nervous. It wasn’t just the old duke and duchess getting up very early and waiting. The Wen’an Marquis Manor’s first branch all came, aside from the Wen’an Marquis Xun Nanheng who was still inspecting the city guards, having yet to return home. Ming Huayue had long led Yu Lingxin and Xun Ying together to Jin Duke Manor to wait.

Yu Lingxin’s worry and anxiousness completely didn’t pale in comparison to the restless Ming Yunji and Ming Jincheng. Just, due to her status, it ultimately wasn’t good for her to be like Ming Jincheng, going to the gate to welcome. As she sat in the main hall drinking tea, she even felt her own heart silently accelerating. And at this time, she casted a glance at Xun Che by her side. He was still that calm and easy-going look, don’t even know if he really was sure of the outcome inside.

After all, based on Ming Jinrou’s attitude previously, afraid it wasn’t something that can be changed in a few nights.

And as everyone sat waiting, the old Jin Duke and Ming Yunji also symbolically asked Xun Che a few words about the matters in court. Xun Che carefully replied one by one. The old Jin Duke was still a bit better, but Ming Yunji really was somewhat distracted, roughly responding a few words, his gaze still constantly sweeping outwards.

After waiting for about another cup of tea’s time, they finally saw the steward outside quickly come in to report, “Wangye and wangfei have arrived!”

Even the old Jin Duke got up immediately. Everyone of the Ming family and Xun family all hurriedly stood up, slightly tidying their clothes as they went out the main hall to welcome. And at this time, they also heard the footsteps outside approach closer and closer. On the paved pathway, Ming Jinrou, who was dressed in a bright red gown embroidered with a luan^[2] in gold, was actually personally led over by Qin Wang hand in hand.

Yu Lingxin immediately just relaxed a breath first. For the newly-wedded couple to be this intimate, it was probably a good thing. She instinctively swept a glance at Xun Che by her side. However, Xun Che’s gaze was very strange, carefully studying Qin Wang and Ming Jinrou, his lips carrying a nearly unable to be contained laughter.

Yu Lingxin looked over following his gaze, immediately seeing Ming Jincheng who was following by Qin Wang and Ming Jinrou’s side. Sure enough, the look on Ming Jincheng’s face was also very strange.

At this time, she finally noticed, when Ming Jinrou was walking, her left foot seemingly was a bit unnatural, like as if having sprained it.

But, the expression on Ming Jinrou’s face was another kind of unnatural.

Her thick hair was coiled up high, the pearls and jade glistening in the light. And on that bright and dainty little face, it was glowing with luster. The tip of her brows and the corner of her eyes were all full of happiness, as well as delicateness and bashfulness which were extremely rare to see on Ming Jinrou.

And it was also this bit of expression that made Ming Yunji, who’d made out at a glance that her left foot might be sprained, not immediately jump up and draw his sword, instead calmly greeting Qin Wang while endlessly measuring them up and down. “Greetings your Highness Qin Wang, wangfei.”

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

Only after the country rites was it the family rites. Qin Wang led along Ming Jinrou in bowing, “Duke, father-in-law.”

Shortly after, everyone all returned to the main hall to talk. When stepping through the doorsteps, Ming Jinrou’s movements were just even more obvious that her left foot was sprained. But, at the same time, what made everyone feel rather relieved was Qin Wang’s carefulness, clearly paying to Ming Jinrou’s movements at every step. After entering the main hall, he further supported her onto her seat before sitting down himself.

At this time now, the thing that everyone cared about the most actually can already be considered to have an answer. Clearly, Qin Wang and Ming Jinrou’s new marriage was very harmonious. Then, for the following conversations, such as mentioning the visit to the palace and meeting with the emperor and empress, the Zongjing Bureau creating the documents and registering into the imperial family records, Qin Wang Manor’s internal affairs and such, it was merely just asking out of courtesy for the occasion.

After two cups of tea, the old Jin Duchess, whose body still wasn’t too well, needed to go back first to rest. Ming Yunji thus took the opportunity to invite Qin Wang and Xun Che to the study to chat, while Ming Huayue took Yu Lingxin and Xun Ying to Ming Jinrou’s Qinghong Pavilion to separately have a private talk.

This originally was an arrangement that couldn’t be more normal, but when Qin Wang got up, he actually somewhat hesitated, glancing at Ming Jinrou again.

Ming Jinrou’s face slightly heated up, dryly coughing, “What is your Highness looking at me for? It’s not like you’ve never been to my father’s study before?”

Qin Wang’s look was a bit awkward, hurriedly turning around to follow after Ming Yunji and the others. Ming Huayue, while feeling happy inside, also couldn’t help but helplessly laugh. After sitting down in Qinghong Pavilion and closing the doors, Ming Huayue first reached out to jab Ming Jinrou’s forehead, “You are really even more impressive now, not even giving your wangye face in front of this many people?”

The blush on Ming Jinrou’s face grew even deeper, “How was I not giving him face, who let him look at me in front of everyone.”

Yu Lingxin also laughed, “What’s wrong with his Highness looking at you, isn’t that because of worrying about your foot injury. Speaking of which, could it be that this new marriage of yours really was like going onto the battlefield? Did you sprain your left foot?”

Ming Jinrou’s eyes clearly somewhat dodged, sweeping a glance at the similarly full of concern Xun Ying, “About that, it’s nothing, just accidentally sprained it.”

Ming Huayue and Yu Lingxin both shared a glance, roughly having some guesses inside, and at the same time, laughed. And at this time, only the still unmarried Xun Ying was still confused, “How could you accidentally sprain it? Jinrou, you’re that flexible and agile, where did you sprain it? Could it be that it was the two side consorts in the manor giving you trouble?”

When Ming Jinrou heard the first half, her face heated up even more, but fortunately, the latter half, she could still follow-up. She hurriedly waved her hand and said, “Not really, Deng-shi and Wen-shi are both still very well-behaved for the time being. Wangye let them rest in their respective courtyards first and start coming to pay respect to me after the first return to the maiden home. Currently, I still haven’t even met them.”

Xun Ying nodded, but she was still concerned about Ming Jinrou’s injury. Just as she was about to keep asking, she just heard Yu Lingxin interrupt with a slight frown, “So, this morning, prior to going back, they also didn’t come pay respect to you? Then, have they formally greeted wangye yet?”

“No.” Ming Jinrou answered without thinking, “Completely didn’t even meet with them.”

Yu Lingxin was thinking, the Deng family’s and Wen family’s young lady, whether they were a side consort, or a liangyuan, no matter what, they were still just concubines, having been bestowed to Qin Wang under an imperial decree. When to consummate the marriage naturally depended on Qin Wang. To put it unpleasantly, even if Qin Wang never come to like them, or unable to take his attention away from Ming Jinrou, never going to consummate the marriage with the side consorts, the Zongjing Bureau may not necessarily be able to say anything.

But, the formal greeting was part of the etiquette and procedures on the surface. Just like, after Yu Lingxin herself married Xun Che, no matter how muddle-headed Xun old madam was, no matter how much Xun old madam didn’t support and didn’t like this marriage, or no matter how much Xun Che didn’t respect Xun old madam inside, this formal meeting that was like the dragonfly tapping on water was still necessary.

Side consorts, liangyuan, and such don’t need to enter the palace to thank the emperor for the honor, but they still need to go before their manor’s main wife to offer tea in order to fulfill the rites, especially considering that Qin Wang had also allowed the two side consorts to respectively return to their maiden home. If they were to say that they never completed the rite of offering tea, then won’t the Deng family and Wen family cause trouble again?

However, these thoughts, in this moment, weren’t as interesting as Ming Jinrou’s reaction. That clear-cut and swift ‘no’ that require no thought made Yu Lingxin immediately side-glance at her, “That certain? Then, in other words, in these three days, you two were together the whole time?”

Ming Jinrou’s entire face all started burning, “Second cousin-in-law!”

“But, for newly-weds, shouldn’t it precisely be like this?” Xun Ying blankly asked, “At the time, after older brother and sister-in-law married, didn’t older brother have a ten day marriage break, where you two didn’t separate?”

“Pfft……….” Ming Huayue nearly sprayed out the tea in her mouth. Yu Lingxin’s two cheeks also started burning. The blush on Ming Jinrou’s face still haven’t faded. The three of them mutually looked at one another, and then respectively turned away to laugh. Only the fair and gentle Xun Ying was still puzzled, “Is this……not right? Mother, back then, when you and father——-”

“Enough!” Ming Huayue immediately stopped this little bookworm daughter of hers from saying more, directly changing the topic as she gazed towards Ming Jinrou, “Those random messy thoughts of yours previously, now should’ve all been placed down, right? In the future, you better be well. Your father and your older brother practically haven’t been able to sleep these days. Even your cousin-in-law has been awfully worried too.”

Ming Jinrou embarrassingly lowered her eyes, moving her lips, somewhat hesitating to speak, but in the end, still responded, “En.”

Yu Lingxin, at this time, although was relieved, her curiosity was nevertheless burning like a raging flame, very much wanting to pull Ming Jinrou aside to ask in detail. That cold and desolate look of hers previously, how come just turned into this loving bashful little wife look in three days?

But, considering the flawlessly pure little sister-in-law, Xun Ying, by her side, even Ming Huayue was careful with her wording, vaguely asking a little before starting to talk about other things. However, Ming Jinrou clearly also had things she wanted to say to Yu Lingxin, so agreed to directly take her to Qin Wang Manor two days later to talk more.

Very soon, the afternoon meal was ready. Everyone gathered together again for the meal. And at this time, Ming Yunji’s and Ming Jincheng’s complexion were also much better. When looking towards Qin Wang, they finally had a kind of intimacy as in-laws. Qin Wang’s own face however didn’t reveal anything, and Xun Che naturally was still his usual unchanging look.

After the afternoon meal, they drank another two cups of tea and chatted a little. This rite of the first return to the maiden home has more or less come to an end. Qin Wang and Ming Jinrou got up to take their leave. Xun Che, Ming Jincheng, Yu Lingxin, and Xun Ying, these few of the same generation, got up together to send them off at the second gate.

At this time, Qin Wang Manor’s guards have already prepared the horse carriage. Just, there wasn’t a stepping-stool by the carriage for getting on the carriage. In the past, Ming Jinrou actually didn’t use one either, because she was agile and energetic, so usually climbed on like Ming Jincheng, propping one hand against the carriage board and directly jumping on and off.

But, today, setting aside her injured left foot, the newly-wed gown on her also wasn’t too convenient and suitable for moving like that.

Xun Ying blanked and was just about to quietly ask her sister-in-law, Yu Lingxin, when she saw, Qin Wang, after saying a few more words of goodbye to Xun Che and Ming Jincheng, while the guard next to the carriage have the carriage curtains pulled open, this eldest imperial prince whose forte has always just been in martial affairs, extremely naturally turned around and had his own wangfei carried onto the carriage.

[1] Lucky grass is really just a collective term for plants that ancient people believed to be auspicious, such as the reishi mushroom, lotus pod, mingjia (a type of plant that exists in ancient legends), etc.

[2] Mythical bird related to the phoenix.