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  Only after the consummation of marriage in a round house can they be considered truly husband and wife, and the red stain on the first night is the only evidence to verify the chastity of the new bride. Whether it's a noble family or a poor household, this square handkerchief is taken very seriously.

  According to custom, on the second morning after the wedding, the servant girl who came with the bride would put away the bridal veil and place it in a purple sandalwood box. Then, together with the servant girl from the husband's family, they would present it to the mother-in-law as proof of the bride's pre-marital chastity. After that, they would proceed with the ceremony of paying respects and serving tea. If there was no bloodstain on the bridal veil on the first night, the husband's family could dissolve the marriage in court under the pretext that the bride was not chaste.

  In Pei Jingxuan's calm eyes, like a still water wave, a slight ripple suddenly appeared. He had overlooked it, only thinking of using illness to avoid the troubles of those people who came to offer tea and ask for peace, but he didn't think of Yuan Pa's problem.

  If he was "ill", they couldn't have made love last night, and naturally there would be no need to present any token of affection. But that way, in the eyes of the world, his relationship with Ming Xuan wouldn't be considered stable either.

  The people in the mansion had what kind of faces, he was clearer than anyone else. Rumors and gossip were inevitable. He wanted to protect her, but it wasn't time yet to break up with those people, and for a moment, he couldn't find a reason to move out of here smoothly. She was strong and smart, but after all, she was the pampered daughter of the Hou family, and he was afraid that she could not bear those idle words and gossip.

  If he had handed over the original contract, Yang would have pointed out his "illness" and made a big deal about it, pushing all the responsibility onto Ming Xuan's "lack of self-control". The private gossip would be even more unbearable. But Pei Jingxuan still wanted to ask Ming Xuan first. He furrowed his brow and asked, "What do you mean?"

  Ming Xuan furrowed his brow and said thoughtfully, "It depends on what you mean by the Pei family."

  She paused, looked up with a serious face and said, "Now that we are husband and wife, there's no need to hide anything. If you want to take back this family business, then let's do it according to the rules. We can't let others find fault in us. Your body should slowly recover, and when you're standing firmly on your feet again, as the eldest son, no one can surpass you."

  Even if Yang had a daughter who was an empress, and had Yang Youcheng as her backing, no matter how strong the power was, it could not go against the rites and laws that the Zhou Dynasty had followed for generations. As long as Pei Jingxuan was still alive, his second son Pei Jingyao would have no chance of getting the title of Duke, and more than half of the family property would not fall into her hands.

  Ming Xuan's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and she continued, "But if you don't care about the Pei family business and just consider this place as a temporary residence, then there are ways to live comfortably without causing gossip."

  She narrowed her eyes and smiled, asking, "Do you want to listen?"

  In order for her future actions to be more free and unimpeded, she felt it was necessary to reach a consensus with Pei Jingchen in advance.

  Pei Jingchen's eyes flashed with a fleeting glimmer of light, "Speak."

  Ming Xuan smiled lightly at him, "After yesterday, I'm afraid no one in the capital city is unaware of the Crown Prince's wife's intentions towards us two, no matter how we respond. Public opinion will always be on our side, you know that power can't block the whispers of the crowd, and prestige can't buy the hearts of everyone. Some things, as long as we do them cleverly, will have twice the effect with half the effort."

  She lightly pursed her lips and continued, "To be honest, I'm not very fond of going to pay respects and drink tea either, but if we really don't go, then it's our fault, which is different from going but not showing respect."

  Filial piety is a great mountain, once the two words "unfilial" are touched, it will be the greatest taboo in the world. No matter whether you want to inherit this centuries-old official residence or cultivate your own virtue, there must not be half a speck of impurity in terms of moral integrity.

  But corresponding to the filial piety of children, there is also the kindness of parents. If parents are not kind, they will also be subject to criticism and contempt.

  Pei Jingchen was slightly surprised, and then he felt a few points of delight. He secretly admired his ancestors for having the wisdom to find him such a straightforward and generous woman. She wasn't spoiled like a wealthy young lady, nor did she have a distant attitude because she had to marry him against her will. This made him feel hopeful about this marriage.

  She is indeed a woman who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him. After all the dust settles, she will surely be able to spend her life with him, through thick and thin, never leaving his side.

  Ming Xuan thought for a moment and said with a slight frown, "As for Yuan Pa... it's inevitable that there will be future complications..."

  She raised her head, gazing at him with sparkling eyes, filled with a hint of nervousness and unease. Her voice suddenly became softer, and if one didn't listen carefully to what she was saying, they wouldn't be able to grasp the meaning behind her words. She spoke cautiously, "We're not very familiar with each other yet, can we talk about that later? Let's get through this current difficulty first."

  Although it has been a long time since the cliff behind Qingliang Temple, Han Xiuxiu really kept her promise and didn't come to find her again. However, she always felt that he was deeply infatuated and wasn't someone who would easily give up. No matter what kind of relationship Mo Yu and Pei Jingxuan would become in the future, whether it was a deep love or a respectful one, she had already become someone's wife and didn't want to have any more entanglements with Han Xiuxiu.

  Han Xiu's feelings, Ming Huan didn't want to ask about it, those past things also had nothing to do with her. Even if he really had a bitter heart, regretting the marriage and taking a wife were all his choices. Everyone should be responsible for their own choices, and losing Ming Huan was the price he should pay.

  In order to dispel Han Xiu's illusions, she felt it necessary to make her relationship with Pei Jingchen a reality. She handed the token of their betrothal to Yang Shi, which would first shut up those people in the manor and give her some peace of mind. Secondly, it would also cut off Han Xiu's lingering thoughts. Anyway, she didn't believe that even if she and Pei Jingchen were married, he could still continue to pester her, saying things like "my woman".

  Bai Jingchen's mouth corners couldn't help but slightly lift, his clear voice obviously carrying a few hints of amusement, "Let's do as said then."

  The sound of the bronze bell came from the main hall, just at the moment of the fourth watch, he turned over and got out of bed, took out a white jade medicine bottle from the drawer of the wardrobe, pulled out the stopper, poured out a red pill, mixed with water it became as thick as blood, he let the white silk above splash a few places randomly, the red plum blossoms were scattered and disordered, looking very mysterious and beautiful.

  Ming Xuan's mouth opened in surprise, she had originally thought that to make it look real, she would have to use some real blood, and she had even mentally prepared herself to hurt her own arm. But unexpectedly, Pei Jingzhen was able to fake the bloodstains on Yuan Pa's cloth so easily, and the red shadow on the white fabric looked incredibly realistic, just like it really happened that way.

  She put on her outer garment and got out of bed, picked up the remaining liquid in the cup and sniffed it, quickly pinched her nose and moved away, "There's a bloody smell in this..."

  "Grandma's specially made blood pellets," Pei Jingchen smiled, "I always carry them with me to prevent coughing up blood."

  Since they will be living together from now on, there is no need to hide these things. He isn't really a sickly husband; on the contrary, after years of training, he still has some inner strength left. These blood pellets were props used when hiding his true abilities in the past. If there's an urgent need, he can put one in his mouth and spit it out, which would be almost indistinguishable from real fresh blood.

  Yu Zhen's pharmaceutical skills are unmatched in the world. Over the years, neither Pei Xiang nor Yang had been able to diagnose his illness despite numerous attempts, as they were all deceived by the medicines that concealed his true condition and these blood pellets. Many people doubted his illness, but no one could catch him faking it.

  Ming Xuan felt surprised and relieved at the same time.

  She didn't quite understand the thoughts of men these days, originally thinking that she wouldn't be able to escape the round house last night, but unexpectedly, Pei Jingchen fell asleep first without saying a word, which also spared her embarrassment. Just now, she carefully and tentatively proposed the suggestion "let's do it another time", originally thinking he would get angry, at least in his heart he couldn't be so pleased, but he smiled and said "let's just do as you say", and even personally helped her prepare the handkerchief that needed to be handed over.

  She stood somewhat awkwardly behind him, feeling that she should express her emotions at this moment, but didn't know what to say. After a long while, she hesitantly asked, "Who usually helps you with dressing and grooming?"

  But in a moment, Pei Jingchen had already dealt with everything on the table. He picked out a purple shirt from the closet and put it on with practiced movements, answering at the same time, "I'm not used to letting strangers get close to me, I do everything myself, including dressing and washing up, and my hair is also done casually by myself. Anyway, I don't often go out, so being a bit sloppy doesn't matter."

  He paused, "I don't have a personal maid here, usually it's Changgeng who takes care of things for me. Now that you're here, from now on, everything in this courtyard will be up to you to decide. Whoever needs to be scolded, scold them; whoever needs to be sent away, send them away. No need to worry about anything."

  This was not wanting to give Yang any opportunity to interfere with Qingyi Courtyard, and also a trust in his wife.

  Ming Xuan smiled slightly and took the comb from the dresser, saying in a low voice, "Since you already have a wife, you can't go out or be lazy anymore. Sit down, I'll help you comb your hair."

  Her words were soft and sweet, but they also contained sincerity. Although she couldn't commit her emotions for the time being, it was unlikely that she could truly reunite with him in the short term. However, as his wife, taking care of his appearance and managing the household were still things she could do.

  Pei Jingchen really sat in front of the dresser, he looked up at the figure behind him in the copper mirror, feeling her soft fingertips passing through his black hair, touching his scalp, and something in his heart seemed to melt away, overflowing with thousands of strange feelings. He not only felt novelty but also had a faint sense of satisfaction.

  It feels like having a wife, I see.

  Ming Xuan's movements were not agile, fortunately the man's hair was not complicated to tie up, she focused and seriously tied his hair, replaced Pei Jingchen with a purple gold hair crown symbolizing the identity of a noble son, and casually helped him tidy up his collar, until he was neat and tidy, only then did he hold his chest and look around.

  She nodded in satisfaction, secretly sighing in her heart, this is indeed a handsome man.

  At this time, the outer door was knocked open and Sheng's voice sounded, "Madam, Gu Yurou from the young master's mansion has arrived."

  Ming Xuan and Pei Jingchen exchanged glances, both guessing that Gui Ya was here for Yuan Pa. She raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice, "Come in."

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