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  Ming Xuan got into the wedding sedan chair with the help of Xi Niang, and at the moment when the sedan curtain closed, a gentle breeze blew up her wedding veil. She saw her brother with tears in his eyes, her grandmother who was following behind to see her off, the bustling crowd and the red lanterns and couplets on the street, as well as the tall and handsome figure on horseback.

  Let's take a walk around Shengjing City!

  She slowly lowered her eyelids, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved up with a hint of a bright smile. Suddenly, she felt that the days to come were not as frightening as she thought, and perhaps... there was something to look forward to.

  The inner city of Shengjing was not as big as imagined, the wedding sedan chair landed steadily at the gate of Zhen Guo Gong Fu at 3 o'clock in the morning, firecrackers sounded, joyful music played, but compared to the scene where guests were waiting at the door and sending off the bride from Yong Ning Hou Fu just now, it seemed very deserted, except for some servants and a few younger brothers, there was no one else.

  Pei Jingchen sat astride a crimson horse, his cold eyes scanning the scene with a sharp gaze, his mouth curling into a few degrees of mockery. He had expected that Yang would not be wholehearted in arranging this wedding, but he hadn't thought that she wouldn't even pretend to go through the motions now.

  The Pei and Gu families joined in marriage, the whole city was watching, and the number of onlookers was countless. The Gu family also followed the wedding procession to the front gate of the Zhen Guo Gong Fu, but it was surprisingly quiet and deserted. Anyone could see that this was a slap in the face for the new daughter-in-law. If this wasn't settled by tomorrow, the news would spread throughout the entire Shengjing City, and he and Ming Xuan would be the subject of gossip for many days to come.

  His eyes slightly lowered, a cold glint flashed quickly, and the fist hidden in his sleeve clenched involuntarily. However, he secretly thought that the patriarch of the Pei family was his grandfather. If it weren't for his grandfather's tacit consent, Yang would not have dared to be so arrogant, even if she were foolish and reckless.

  Is this a warning to myself or a punishment for being disobedient?

  Chang Geng whispered a reminder, "Sir, it's time to kick open the sedan door!"

  Pei Jingxuan's expression turned solemn. With Yang Guang supporting him as he dismounted his horse, a joyful mother handed over a handkerchief with intertwined double hearts, which he lightly lifted to his chest and glanced at. He then walked up to the wedding sedan, symbolically kicked open the door, and handed the handkerchief inside.

  "He said in a low voice, with a gentleness and pity in his eyes that he himself was not yet aware of, 'Don't be afraid, just follow me.'"

  A warmth rose in Ming Xuan's heart as she lightly opened her vermilion lips and softly replied, "Mm-hmm."

  At the moment she got off the sedan, she had already felt something was wrong. The desolation and silence in front of the Pei's mansion, even the loud drum music couldn't cover it up. She also vaguely guessed the reason. Such an obvious show of hostility clearly indicated the Pei family's stance on this marriage, and also meant that her future days would be filled with difficulties.

  It's inevitable to feel somewhat uneasy.

  But if it's about being "afraid"...... She has already died once, and is actually just a strand of future wandering soul relying on this body. What she has experienced is unknown how many times more than the people in the Pei family, what does she have to be afraid of?

  Perhaps because the Pei family had not taken this marriage to heart, the wedding was not very lively, and there were fewer people making a fuss. Ming Xuan smoothly stepped over the fire basin under Pei Jingzhen's guidance. After worshiping heaven and earth in the main hall, the master of ceremonies announced that the ceremony was complete, and she was surrounded by the matron of honor and the maid servants and sent into the bridal chamber.

  The sky was getting dark, and the red candles were lit. In the dim light, Ming Xuan heard many whispers in the new room. Those who could enter the inner chamber must be the ladies of the Pei family, but she had no time to listen to what they were discussing. With a gold crown weighing about twenty kilograms on her head, she felt that her neck was almost broken.

  A slightly sharp voice laughed and said, "Zhen Ge, we've all heard that your wife is a famous beauty in Shengjing City. What are you still dazed about? Quickly lift the wedding veil and let the aunts open their eyes."

  This remark is somewhat frivolous and not suitable for an elder, with a hint of watching the excitement, it seems a bit harsh. Everyone knows that the bride's makeup in Zhou Dynasty is the most rigid and heavy, no matter how beautiful or lively the girl is, under the uniform thick makeup, they all look like stiff puppets, there is no shortage of festivity, but in any case, it can't be said to have much aesthetic appeal.

  Pei Jingchen's heart was slightly unhappy, but according to the grand wedding ceremony of the Zhou Dynasty, it was also time to lift the red veil. He composed himself, picked up the scale from the table case, and gently lifted the red veil on the bride's head.

  Under the dazzling golden crown, a face as beautiful as peaches and plums appeared. Ming Xuan's mouth curled up with a bright smile, like a refreshing spring breeze that dispelled the dullness and restlessness in the room. She looked elegant and refined to the extreme, but her eyes sparkled with vitality and shone brightly.

  Not a stiff puppet on strings, but indeed an elegant beauty.

  There was a brief silence in the crowd, and the lady who had just spoken hastily said, "I said it early, among us sisters-in-law, the eldest sister is still the most blessed. The wife of Brother Xiao is already a rare beauty, who would have thought that the wife of Brother Pei would be even more outstanding?"

  Suddenly, she seemed to realize her mistake and covered her mouth. She turned to a young woman beside her and said, "Oh dear, Sister-in-law Pei, it's just Auntie's slip of the tongue, please don't take it to heart."

  The woman seemed to be unfazed and burst out laughing, saying "Sister-in-law is indeed more beautiful than me, you haven't said anything wrong."

  Ming Xuan's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she looked up to see the middle-aged woman wearing a crimson thick shirt, dressed in a luxurious and fashionable manner. Although her appearance was not particularly good-looking, she seemed quite refined and elegant. However, every sentence she spoke was laced with veiled criticisms and sarcastic remarks, even when giving praise, which made her tone somewhat inferior.

  This must be Madame Bian, wife of Pei Xiaochi, Minister of Revenue and third elder master of the Pei family.

  She shifted her gaze to the young woman, seeing that she was elegant and refined. Although she lived in the dark and humble Pei family home, there was still a hint of purity in her eyes, so she guessed that this must be the wife of Pei Jingxiao, the second son of Yang Shi, the eldest daughter of the Pei family, and the daughter of Min Da, the National University's sacrificial wine.

  The bridesmaid broke the strange atmosphere in the house, laughing and saying, "Please have the newlyweds drink the wedding wine!"

  Ming Xuan was secretly calculating the steps of the wedding ceremony in her heart, knowing that after drinking the nuptial wine, the banquet would be opened outside, and at that time, Pei Jingchen and the aunts and sisters-in-law who were sitting around with different thoughts would all go out to sit down. She could change the heavy golden crown on her head to a married woman's high bun. Therefore, she was not shy or reserved at all, and quickly took over the wine cup handed over by the matchmaker, and drank it with Pei Jingchen in a big and straightforward manner, completing this ritual.

  In the din, Ming Xuan vaguely heard the man in front of her emit a muffled laugh. Although it was just a light hum, it was so fleeting that one might wonder if they had misheard. However, when she put down her cup, Pei Jingchen's eyes still held a lingering smile, which she caught sight of. Her face suddenly flushed red as she thought to herself, "Has this man misunderstood something?"

  She didn't have time to explain with her eyes, and Pei Jingchen was already surrounded by people and taken out of the bridal chamber.

  A little maid came out and announced, "The banquet has started, please ask each lady and grandmother to go to the front hall for dinner!"

  Before long, the room that was just packed to capacity suddenly emptied out, leaving only two matrons and Ming Xuan's maid from the Gu family. Several people helped her take off the heavy gold crown and re-style her hair into a new wife's bun, without any hairpins or ornaments, simply tied with red silk.

  Ming Xuan let out a sigh of relief and massaged her neck thoroughly before revealing a bright smile.

  Dan Hong's face didn't have a few shades of joy, she raised her head and hesitated to speak.

  Ming Xuan's eyes deepened, just then a woman came to invite the bride out for a rest, she smiled and agreed. When only four maidservants were left in the house, she furrowed her brow and asked, "Where is Stewardess Yan?"

  Dan Hong frowned, her words full of worry, "Yan's nanny was originally going to stay and accompany the young lady, but before entering the new house, she was intercepted by someone from the side of the Shizi's wife, saying that there was also a banquet in the backyard, and they wanted to invite her over to sit down. Yan's nanny politely declined, but those two women didn't listen and took her away. Su Wan and I both saw it, but we couldn't get away either, and now I don't know how Nanny is doing."

  She gritted her teeth and said, "Madam Yan had said it early, I'm afraid the young master's wife is not willing to let Miss bring someone to manage the house, she must be thinking of a way to make trouble, could she be planning to take action against Madam Yan now?"

  Ming Xuan's eyes drooped slightly, and her face suddenly sank. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Yan Shi is still serving by the side of her great-grandmother, and can be considered a decent servant girl. Even if Yang Shi is foolish, she wouldn't dare to do anything improper tonight. She still has unmarried sons and daughters at home. If her reputation is too bad, it will be difficult for them to find good marriages in the future. Yang Shi doesn't dare to treat Yan Shi poorly!"

  A cold smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she said in an icy tone, "Don't worry, she drove away Yan's nanny, but it was just that we young people hadn't experienced the world, and were shy and new to this place, so those aunties could bully me a bit more with their words, no big deal."

  If it weren't for the matchmaker receiving a large sum of silver from her grandmother, and making an effort to dissolve all these awkward situations, perhaps there would still be many more troubles to come. As soon as she entered the door, Yang gave her a big blow, did he really think that Gu Mingxuan was a softie who could be bullied at will?

  Dan Hong stamped her foot, "Miss is kind and good, but being too kind will be taken advantage of. Look around, besides us, isn't there anyone else in this room? I heard that in families with good manners, they usually leave two young girls to keep the new sister-in-law company and chat with her to relieve boredom, it's also a way to get closer."

  "She said with hatred, 'The Pei family is really too bullying!'"

  Ming Xuan gently patted her back, with a warm expression on her face. She swept her eyes over the four accompanying maids in the room, but her tone suddenly became severe: "When you all came to accompany me, I already told you that the Pei family is a den of dragons and tigers, not a good place to get along with. From the time I entered this house until now, we've all seen our circumstances and experiences for ourselves. Dan Hong said it right, 'good people are often bullied', but in this place, as an unwelcome person, wanting not to be bullied is also not that easy."

  Her eyes slightly dimmed, and she said in a low voice, "I want you to promise me one thing."

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