Jian Pingyu had three sons and one daughter. His eldest daughter, Jian Lizi, was married in Jiangnan and hadn't returned to the capital for decades. This time, when his nephew got married, he only sent his eldest son, Ji Wangxi, to deliver gifts. Jian Liyou, the eldest illegitimate son, was mediocre in talent and not enthusiastic about official career. So, when his father retired, he resigned from the hereditary post and returned home with his wife and children to fulfill his filial duties.

  Nowadays, there are only two houses of Jian's family in the imperial capital: Jian Li Kuo and Jian Li Miao. The latter house now has only him left.

  So this will make a disturbance in the Jian family home, and only Jian Liang's legitimate eldest daughter, Jian Yimian, who was born to his first wife.

  This humble and cautious nature is because she was not born to the eldest princess, in her maiden home, she has always been timid and fearful, let alone facing her stepmother's legitimate daughter-in-law with a big sister attitude!

  She couldn't let go, and it wasn't good for the young noblewomen who followed her to overstep the host's house.

  If it weren't for the Princess of Jin State sending over her eldest daughter, Qingjiang County Mistress, and her second daughter-in-law, Shou Chun Bo's wife, Lady Bai, the spacious bridal chamber would have been cold and empty.

  "Fourth brother, you should go ahead!" After the ceremony, Qingjiang County Master led the way to tease the newlyweds a few sentences. Seeing that the bridal chamber finally had some festive atmosphere, she urged Jian Xuebai, "Remember, one night in spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Don't drink too much wine! Otherwise, if you're slow with your sister-in-law tonight, we won't forgive you!"

  Bai and others burst into laughter, pushing and shoving Jian Yu Bai out. Looking back at Song Yi's red face and ears, Qing Jiang Jun Zhu laughed: "Not even teasing the bride yet and she's already blushing, does this mean we've scared away Fourth Brother and now it's your turn?"

  "Although we've been preparing for a long time, I want to take good care of my fourth brother and sister. " Bai sighed on purpose, "But now that I see the real person, I'm reluctant to part with them! No way, who made me a person who loves and cherishes beauty?"

  "You're so delicate and refined, but you're just a commoner who'd burn his lute and cook his crane!" The young lady of Qingjiang scolded with a smile, "You were the one who came up with this idea in the first place, now you still have the nerve to say that!"

  Boyi said bluntly: "If I hadn't seen with my own eyes that Fourth Brother and Sister were such a lovely couple, I would have had the heart to do it! Now that I've seen them, how can I bring myself to do it? I can only ruin Eldest Sister's plans!"

  The two of them said that, and the others also understood the meaning, which was not to make things difficult for Song Yishiao - originally, getting married is a big thing in one's life, unless someone is foolish to a certain extent or has been holding a grudge for a long time, no one would add trouble on such a day.

  So everyone was delighted and the conversation turned to Qingjiang Junzhu and Bo Shi, praising Song Yiliao's beauty and saying that she would certainly grow old with Jian Wubai.

  Qingjiang County Master was the last to leave, seeing only two maids accompanying Song Yixiao in the bridal chamber, and tactfully said: "Since Fourth Brother's wife has entered our household, from now on we are all one family. Please forgive any past misunderstandings!"

  It was originally intended to let Song Yixiao give herself a gift as an apology for being her daughter-in-law.

  Song Yi smiled and said: "Sister, you're being too polite. You've already said we're one family, where did the misunderstanding come from?"

  The mistress of Qingjiang smiled in satisfaction and nodded at her before leaving.

  "Quickly bring a piece of pastry from over there for me to try!" Song Yi smiled and looked at the door that had been closed, then called Jin Xun over to lock it, and immediately urged, "And tea, don't worry about whether it's hot or cold, just pour a cup first!"

  Jin Xun had long since pitied her extremely, and upon hearing this, she naturally carried out everything: "Miss hasn't eaten much all day today, she must be exhausted, right? You eat, I'll massage your shoulders for you."

  Cui Xian specially assigned this capable maid to accompany her daughter as a dowry, lest her young daughter be bullied by the servants after marriage. Then she quickly went to the side trunk and took out rouge, powder and other things, preparing for Song Yi Xiao to reapply her makeup after eating: "This pastry is easy to digest, Miss can eat one piece at a time, just don't eat too much! Otherwise, your stomach will hurt in a while."

  She also said, "Wait a minute, I'll send someone out to take a look and bring you some good pickled vegetables."

  However, the mistress of Qingjiang County deliberately repaired her relationship with her sister-in-law. Without using clever words, she sent someone to send a large bowl of wontons: "The county master said that no one will come to disturb you, so take your time!"

  "Here's a big bowl, you guys have some too." Song Yi smiled and thanked the maid who had sent over the wontons. After she left, he hastily called out to Jin Xun and Qiao Chen, "You've been starving all day, what's with the formalities now?"

  The three masters and servants, who were tired, hungry and thirsty, took advantage of the quietness to share the soup dumplings and drink a bowl of hot tea to relieve their greasiness, and only then did they feel much better.

  It's already autumn, but it's not cold yet. With the doors and windows closed, eating hot food will inevitably make you sweat.

  Song Yixiao was just feeling a bit uncomfortable when there was a sudden knock at the door.

  Cui Xian opened the door, but it was a woman in a green shirt, who looked older, but still dressed as a maid. After entering, she bowed and said in a melodious voice: "The eldest princess heard that Madam has only two maidservants to serve her, and is afraid that Madam is not familiar with the palace after just arriving, so I was sent here to take orders."

  Song Yixiao was already the nominal wife of Jian Yizhong, but she had not yet received the imperial edict and seal, so the servants could only temporarily address her as "Niangniang" (a term used to address a woman of high social status) rather than "Furen" (Madam).

  The maid understood what was meant and said, "Your humble servant is Cuilian."

  "Cui Xian?" Song Yi smiled as the name brought back memories. "I remember we met six years ago, didn't we?"

  "Grandma really has a good memory!" Cui Xian hooked her lips and smiled slightly, "I was originally a palace maid in the Mingren Palace, and I followed Master 12 years ago. This year when Master went to court, Empress Dowager was afraid that Master would not be used to it, so she let me come to the Guogong Mansion to continue serving Master."

  Twelve years ago? Continue serving Master Gong?

  Qiao Xuan seemed to smile but not quite: This Cui Tong is probably around twenty, right? She's also considered a beauty, having followed from the palace to the Duke's residence, devotedly serving Jian Yu Bai. What she ultimately wants to serve him with is crystal clear!

  "Sorry to trouble you!" Cui Xian's anger, Song Yi smiled and saw it all in her eyes, she just entered the door, Cui Tong had a tone of "I am the predetermined mother-in-law", which one of them could be happy as the legitimate wife?

  But although she was a slave, she was brought out by the empress dowager and came to the Yan Guo Gong Fu, also with the intention of the empress dowager - who knows if the empress dowager is willing for her to be taken in by Jian Yu Bai?

  Song Yi smiled warmly on her face, "I've been sweating a lot lately, does anyone know where I can take a bath?"

  Cui's hint got no response, she was quite disappointed, took them to the bathroom, called someone to fetch water, then excused herself to change clothes and retreated, apparently not wanting to serve Song Yiliao anymore.

  "Miss, that maid is simply shameless! You've just finished the wedding ceremony with your husband, and she's already talking nonsense!" As soon as she left, Chuan Xian rolled up her sleeves to make it easier to work, and whispered, "The princess had warned us before, people like this should be eliminated as early as possible, otherwise who knows what kind of trouble they will stir up?!"

  Jin Xun also felt that Cui Xiao seemed to have a lazy intention, but: "That was given by the Empress Dowager to Guniang's husband, Miss just passed the door and it's not good to move?"

  "Let her be proud for a few more days." Cui Xian also didn't want Song Yi to get rid of this trouble immediately, "Wait for an opportunity and hurry up to marry her off! If she insists on not leaving, Miss, you can't be soft-hearted!"

  Song Yi smiled and leaned back against the bathtub with her eyes closed, lazily saying: "We just got here, it's still dark outside... let's take a look first!"

  Tonight is her wedding night, and the two maids don't want to disturb her either, so after hearing this sentence, they all fell silent.

  Although so, Song Yixiao also didn't have much interest anymore.

  She bathed and reluctantly put on a crimson silk jacket with mandarin duck embroidery, tied a same-color gauze skirt, and draped a thin red gauze over her shoulders. After returning to the room, she sat in front of the dresser and let two maids dry her long hair. The polished copper mirror clearly reflected half of the bridal chamber, where auspicious patterns such as "hundred years of good union", "twin lotus flowers with one heart", "pomegranate blooming with a hundred seeds" and "endless affection like intertwined melons" were intricately arranged, each piece exquisitely crafted and vividly lifelike.

  It's just that after Cui Tianci came, such a blanket of blessings seems meaningless.

  So she saw Xue'er take out her makeup box and shook her head: "Just use a little powder to set it."

  She saw Qingyu bring over a small tray with a few delicate pastries, and then reach for the cosmetics, slightly furrowing her brow. "It's so late already, why bother?"

  "Miss was born with a beautiful appearance, and didn't need these things." Qiao Xin only saw that she was shy, and watched as Jin Xun braided her black hair, smiling and coaxing, "But today you're too tired, your lips are a bit pale, how about adding a little lip color?"

  She finally stopped after being persuaded and coaxed into applying a lip gloss with a dewdrop design.

  At this time, let's take a look at the more leaks. I estimate that Jian Yu Bai should be back soon. Qiao Xuan gave Jin Xun a wink and asked to go outside to watch the door together.

  Song Yi Xiao didn't keep them - after the two left, she took out a handkerchief and wiped off the lip rouge cleanly, walked into the tent, pulled open the brocade quilt, and slept soundly.

  Anyway, Jian Yu's purpose in marrying her was just to find a virtuous helper.

  She thought her husband wasn't a petty person either. As long as she managed the back properly, he wouldn't nitpick about trivial matters.

  So Song Yi slept very soundly, so soundly that she didn't even have a sense of being married.

  She was so startled that she kicked the unsuspecting Jian Yu Bai onto the footrest without hesitation.

  "What are you doing?" Jian Yu Bai sat on the footboard after falling down, without getting up immediately, and asked in a lazy tone.

  If it were Ji Su who had been attending to him all these years, he would have known that his master was really angry.

  No wonder, on the day of great joy, it's easy to get away with friends and family back to the bridal chamber, witnessing the new wife's spring sleep, just as the heart is burning with passion, but being brutally interrupted, can you be happy?

  "Sorry." Song Yi smiled and rubbed her forehead, narrowing her eyes for a moment before reacting to the current situation. Knowing she was in the wrong, she quickly softened her tone and apologized, "I just woke up and got scared!"

  Jian Yu Bai, despite being poisoned and unable to drink excessively, couldn't avoid being persuaded to have a few cups at the wedding banquet. This also brought some intoxication. The slanted corners of her eyes were tinged with a faint red glow from the intoxication, and the phoenix-like pupils shone with flowing light, rippling endlessly.

  He listened to his wife's explanation, still unmoving, and said lightly: "You know you're wrong, why are you still sitting there?"

  Song Yi smiled and puckered her lips, sat up, reached out to support him - she slightly leaned forward, the red gauze outer shirt that had been untied by Jian Yu Bai slid down neatly, revealing a large area of snow-white skin without any cover.

  Although that jacket can't block much, it's become a habit for her to pull up the collar.

  His hand was caught by a pale and slender one, his wrist held in a tight grip.

  The wedding night was already romantic, with his beautiful wife in front of him. The young Duke naturally forgot the unpleasantness from earlier and grabbed her wrist, exerting a slight force to pull Song Yishang, who was originally on the couch, into his arms, leaning down to kiss her lips.

  Song Yi's smile froze, and she immediately remembered Wei Mengying's previous teachings, tentatively stretching out her arm to wrap around his neck.

  Jian Xu Bai was very satisfied with his wife's response, and he naturally pried open her teeth, entering deeply and entwining himself around her - just as the two of them were gradually becoming passionate, Jian Xu Bai suddenly got up, pressed his wife onto the bed, planning to thoroughly enjoy himself when the door was suddenly knocked on!

  "Who?!" Jian Yu Bai's movements on top of his wife froze, but his face suddenly turned ashen!

  Perhaps sensing the fury in his tone, there was a pause outside the door before Cuiyan's trembling voice came through: "Master, the night Wu Gao you just had seems to be wrong, you...you need to have another bowl!"

  Song Yi lay under him, smiling with narrowed eyes, propped up on one arm, and reached out to grasp the hanging green silk, chuckling: "Open the door, physical intimacy is important. Besides... Cui Tong isn't unaware of what we're doing now, yet he still sent medicine over, this is rather bear your thunderous wrath than neglect your well-being!"

  She covered her eyes with a smile that was not a smile, hiding the mockery and coldness beneath. She slightly raised her head to stick close to Jian Yu's ear, her breath as gentle as an orchid, "The beauty's favor is deep, but it has been wasted, how unseemly?"