Yin Lan opened the door as Ying Zhu brushed the snowflakes off her body and walked in, lifting the heavy curtain.
"Miss, the Eldest Prince went to the Yong'an Marquis Manor himself."
Gu Ying raised her eyes, "What did the prince say to you?"
Yin Zhu said, "The prince said, tell Miss not to worry, just focus on getting married, he will take care of everything."
Gu Ying felt relieved, and the unease in her heart dissipated somewhat.
But thinking about getting married made her feel uneasy again. The tragic marriage to Jiang Yin in her previous life had left her full of fear towards marriage. In recent days, her focus had been on revenge, but now that she had relaxed, her focus started to shift to the upcoming wedding, making her increasingly anxious.
She pressed her temple, "Alright...Yin Zhu, you've worked hard, go rest first."
After Yin Zhu left, there was only Yin Lan left to serve her.
"Yin Lan..." Gu Ying was silent for a while. Her mind was chaotic and she didn't know what she was thinking. She could only think of the unfortunate marriage in her previous life, Jiang Yin's cold and indifferent face, and Jiang Yin's women looking down on her one after another.
Ever since getting married, she hadn't had a single good day.
Her face turned slightly pale. "What was it like when you got married?"
Yin Lan was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled up in a smile. Like a big sister, she said, "I was as nervous as Miss is now, but also afraid. But when I really worshipped heaven and earth and entered the bridal chamber with that person, my heart settled calmly in my chest, and I was no longer afraid of anything."
Speaking to this point, Yin Lan paused.
The passion and love of her youth did not last long. Not long after she got married, she saw through her husband's true colors. She could endure the beatings, scoldings and humiliations, but when that man killed his own child...
She didn't want to continue, but she also understood Gu Ying's mood at the moment. With a gentle smile, she said, "Is Miss afraid?"
"Not really..." Gu Ying knew about Yin Lan's experience and didn't want her to say more. She held her hand and said gently with a smile, "I just don't know what it will be like to marry him, so I'm a little worried."
She had gotten married before, so she knew what it felt like.
She had married feeling excited and happy, but in the end was neglected and locked up.
She was all too familiar with this kind of pain. So in this life, she didn't dare to easily get involved in emotional matters.
But Zhao Prince was different from other men after all... He was the first man in her two lifetimes, so it was impossible for her to not have any feelings for him.
But her feelings towards him were still somewhat complicated.
"Miss doesn't need to worry too much. No matter what happens later, we servants will be with Miss."
"Yes, I have you all."
"Miss, go to sleep."
Gu Ying felt reassured and went to bed.
Yin Lan tucked her in properly, turned off the lights, and said, "Miss, sleep tight. This servant will stand guard outside. If Miss needs anything, just ring the bell."
Gu Ying said, "Yin Lan, you should rest too. No need to stand guard. You should rest well these days too."
Yin Lan paused and said, "Yes."
After Yin Lan left, the room became quieter. Outside the window, the wind howled fiercely. She lay on her side in the brocade quilt, remembering what Grandmother had said. For this coming-of-age ceremony, they didn't need to make a big fuss, just a simple ceremony at home with a few family members, so she could calmly wait to get married.
She sighed, stroking the beaded butterfly hairpin under her pillow, then closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The next day when she woke up, nothing had happened in Bianjing. Life was still as usual, plain and simple.
Then she knew the matter with the little Marquis was over and done with.
Gu Jia had suffered some torment in the meditation room. Gu Ying deliberately had the news of Mrs. Liu's suicide spread in. She heard that Gu Jia nearly went crazy inside and her mind grew more and more abnormal.
Jiang Yin still came to see her every now and then, coming out with a black face every time.
Gu Ying's coming-of-age ceremony was held very simply. A few close relatives came to the Earl Manor to congratulate her. Aunt Zhao prepared a few banquet tables, and everyone ate a meal and watched an opera, and it was over.
She received many gifts, but when she looked them over, that beaded butterfly hairpin was still the one she liked best.
Time flew by quickly.
The New Year was coming soon, and Bianjing inside and outside the city was becoming more and more lively. This was the only festive holiday of the year, and every household hung up big red lanterns, preparing firecrackers and flower lights, pasting up Spring Festival couplets, looking forward to New Year's Eve.
The wedding of the Dongping Earl Manor and the Zhenguo Duke Manor was also approaching.
The Duke Manor attached great importance to the Eldest Prince's wedding. Everyone in Bianjing, high and low, heard that all the arrangements for this grand wedding were personally taken care of by the Prince during his busy schedule. Cheng didn't even get to stick a finger in.
His attention to that Second Miss Gu of the Gu family was unprecedented, making it a hot topic around town.
Whenever Cheng went out for banquets with the ladies, she would just smile and say, "My Adu is filial and unwilling to let me work hard, which is why he insists on taking care of everything personally."
Everyone in the privileged circles of Bianjing knew that the Prince was putting Cheng in her place. Cheng just stubbornly refused to admit it.
Cheng was of lowly birth from a concubine. She had barely managed to climb to the position of the Duke's wife. The true aristocratic ladies had always looked down on her. If not for giving the Duke Manor face, no one would be willing to invite her.
Yet Cheng loved liveliness. She hated not being able to attend all kinds of gatherings and show off her status.
Ever since Zhao Prince was going to get married, Cheng had finally quieted down a bit. To save face, she didn't dare to go out and about either.
According to custom, the bride and groom were not allowed to meet before the wedding.
It had been over ten days since Gu Ying last saw Zhao Changdu.
She started to calmly be a new bride, though she didn't need to embroider bridal clothes and such. But the dowry her mother left her, she personally finalized the details with Aunt Zhao.
During this time, Lady Qin often came to the Earl Manor to accompany her, and Gu Ning's legs were also gradually improving. Her mood became better and better.
Looking at the calm Earl Manor, only Wang's courtyard had an unusual tranquility.
Gu Wan most hated how Gu Shuang fawned over Gu Ying. Today when she came back from greeting Grandmother at Yongshou Hall, she was so angry at seeing all the red satin around the manor that she threw away the soup she was holding.
Wang was sitting on the incense burner, embroidering a belly wrap.
Gu Wan came back in a huff, leaving her maids behind, and threw herself into her mother's arms with red-rimmed eyes.
Wang impatiently said, "Crying again?"
Gu Wan cried, "Mother, haven't you seen it? Now everyone in the manor revolves around Gu Ying. She used to be the most unpleasant one, but now Gu Shuang is like a little follower, going on and on about Second Sister this and Second Sister that. Even Grandmother favors her now. Daughter is unhappy."
Wang stroked her back and said, "Didn't I tell you not to be impatient?"
Yin Lan opened the door as Ying Zhu brushed the snowflakes off her body and walked in, lifting the heavy curtain.
"Miss, the Eldest Prince went to the Yong'an Marquis Manor himself."
Gu Ying raised her eyes, "What did the prince say to you?"
Yin Zhu said, "The prince said, tell Miss not to worry, just focus on getting married, he will take care of everything."
Gu Ying felt relieved, and the unease in her heart dissipated somewhat.
But thinking about getting married made her feel uneasy again. The tragic marriage to Jiang Yin in her previous life had left her full of fear towards marriage. In recent days, her focus had been on revenge, but now that she had relaxed, her focus started to shift to the upcoming wedding, making her increasingly anxious.
She pressed her temple, "Alright...Yin Zhu, you've worked hard, go rest first."
After Yin Zhu left, there was only Yin Lan left to serve her.
"Yin Lan..." Gu Ying was silent for a while. Her mind was chaotic and she didn't know what she was thinking. She could only think of the unfortunate marriage in her previous life, Jiang Yin's cold and indifferent face, and Jiang Yin's women looking down on her one after another.
Ever since getting married, she hadn't had a single good day.
Her face turned slightly pale. "What was it like when you got married?"
Yin Lan was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled up in a smile. Like a big sister, she said, "I was as nervous as Miss is now, but also afraid. But when I really worshipped heaven and earth and entered the bridal chamber with that person, my heart settled calmly in my chest, and I was no longer afraid of anything."
Speaking to this point, Yin Lan paused.
The passion and love of her youth did not last long. Not long after she got married, she saw through her husband's true colors. She could endure the beatings, scoldings and humiliations, but when that man killed his own child...
She didn't want to continue, but she also understood Gu Ying's mood at the moment. With a gentle smile, she said, "Is Miss afraid?"
"Not really..." Gu Ying knew about Yin Lan's experience and didn't want her to say more. She held her hand and said gently with a smile, "I just don't know what it will be like to marry him, so I'm a little worried."
She had gotten married before, so she knew what it felt like.
She had married feeling excited and happy, but in the end was neglected and locked up.
She was all too familiar with this kind of pain. So in this life, she didn't dare to easily get involved in emotional matters.
But Zhao Prince was different from other men after all... He was the first man in her two lifetimes, so it was impossible for her to not have any feelings for him.
But her feelings towards him were still somewhat complicated.
"Miss doesn't need to worry too much. No matter what happens later, we servants will be with Miss."
"Yes, I have you all."
"Miss, go to sleep."
Gu Ying felt reassured and went to bed.
Yin Lan tucked her in properly, turned off the lights, and said, "Miss, sleep tight. This servant will stand guard outside. If Miss needs anything, just ring the bell."
Gu Ying said, "Yin Lan, you should rest too. No need to stand guard. You should rest well these days too."
Yin Lan paused and said, "Yes."
After Yin Lan left, the room became quieter. Outside the window, the wind howled fiercely. She lay on her side in the brocade quilt, remembering what Grandmother had said. For this coming-of-age ceremony, they didn't need to make a big fuss, just a simple ceremony at home with a few family members, so she could calmly wait to get married.
She sighed, stroking the beaded butterfly hairpin under her pillow, then closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The next day when she woke up, nothing had happened in Bianjing. Life was still as usual, plain and simple.
Then she knew the matter with the little Marquis was over and done with.
Gu Jia had suffered some torment in the meditation room. Gu Ying deliberately had the news of Mrs. Liu's suicide spread in. She heard that Gu Jia nearly went crazy inside and her mind grew more and more abnormal.
Jiang Yin still came to see her every now and then, coming out with a black face every time.
Gu Ying's coming-of-age ceremony was held very simply. A few close relatives came to the Earl Manor to congratulate her. Aunt Zhao prepared a few banquet tables, and everyone ate a meal and watched an opera, and it was over.
She received many gifts, but when she looked them over, that beaded butterfly hairpin was still the one she liked best.
Time flew by quickly.
The New Year was coming soon, and Bianjing inside and outside the city was becoming more and more lively. This was the only festive holiday of the year, and every household hung up big red lanterns, preparing firecrackers and flower lights, pasting up Spring Festival couplets, looking forward to New Year's Eve.
The wedding of the Dongping Earl Manor and the Zhenguo Duke Manor was also approaching.
The Duke Manor attached great importance to the Eldest Prince's wedding. Everyone in Bianjing, high and low, heard that all the arrangements for this grand wedding were personally taken care of by the Prince during his busy schedule. Cheng didn't even get to stick a finger in.
His attention to that Second Miss Gu of the Gu family was unprecedented, making it a hot topic around town.
Whenever Cheng went out for banquets with the ladies, she would just smile and say, "My Adu is filial and unwilling to let me work hard, which is why he insists on taking care of everything personally."
Everyone in the privileged circles of Bianjing knew that the Prince was putting Cheng in her place. Cheng just stubbornly refused to admit it.
Cheng was of lowly birth from a concubine. She had barely managed to climb to the position of the Duke's wife. The true aristocratic ladies had always looked down on her. If not for giving the Duke Manor face, no one would be willing to invite her.
Yet Cheng loved liveliness. She hated not being able to attend all kinds of gatherings and show off her status.
Ever since Zhao Prince was going to get married, Cheng had finally quieted down a bit. To save face, she didn't dare to go out and about either.
According to custom, the bride and groom were not allowed to meet before the wedding.
It had been over ten days since Gu Ying last saw Zhao Changdu.
She started to calmly be a new bride, though she didn't need to embroider bridal clothes and such. But the dowry her mother left her, she personally finalized the details with Aunt Zhao.
During this time, Lady Qin often came to the Earl Manor to accompany her, and Gu Ning's legs were also gradually improving. Her mood became better and better.
Looking at the calm Earl Manor, only Wang's courtyard had an unusual tranquility.
Gu Wan most hated how Gu Shuang fawned over Gu Ying. Today when she came back from greeting Grandmother at Yongshou Hall, she was so angry at seeing all the red satin around the manor that she threw away the soup she was holding.
Wang was sitting on the incense burner, embroidering a belly wrap.
Gu Wan came back in a huff, leaving her maids behind, and threw herself into her mother's arms with red-rimmed eyes.
Wang impatiently said, "Crying again?"
Gu Wan cried, "Mother, haven't you seen it? Now everyone in the manor revolves around Gu Ying. She used to be the most unpleasant one, but now Gu Shuang is like a little follower, going on and on about Second Sister this and Second Sister that. Even Grandmother favors her now. Daughter is unhappy."
Wang stroked her back and said, "Didn't I tell you not to be impatient?"
