In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Su Jin's marriage.
During these four days, Su Jin didn't even know which way the main gate of the Marquis Dongxiang's mansion faced. It wasn't that she didn't want to go out, but she couldn't.
The Iron Armor Guards of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion had not withdrawn, and they still surrounded the Marquis Dongxiang's mansion tightly. However, compared to before, they allowed people to go in and out, but these people definitely did not include Su Jin.
Su Jin, who was about to get married, avoided confronting them directly. If the people from the Duke Zhen Country Mansion came and told her to be closely watched to prevent the future Eldest Young Madam from going out to snatch men, how was she supposed to maintain a smile?
Furthermore, Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang were busy preparing the dowry for her, working tirelessly. How could Su Jin bear to trouble them more for her sake? It was only four days; they would soon pass.
Although it was rushed, all the rituals that should accompany a wedding were there. The Emperor retracted the imperial decree bestowing the marriage and also gifted a phoenix crown and wedding robe.
The heavy phoenix crown made Su Jin's neck ache nearly before leaving the Marquis Dongxiang's mansion. Not to mention being tossed around in the bridal sedan, getting dizzy, and being hit with rotten eggs, making her unable to vomit even if she wanted to.
Su Jin simply used a silver needle to prick herself into unconsciousness, lying in the sedan chair where she couldn't see anything.
The consequence of making herself faint was that when the sedan reached the Duke Zhen Country Mansion, the sound of trumpets and firecrackers was deafening, and the wedding maid called for her to get out of the sedan three times, but Su Jin was unaware.
The wedding maid lifted the sedan curtain and saw her leaning against one side, with the playful mandarin ducks bridal veil falling to the ground. This scared the wedding maid into thinking Su Jin had taken her own life, but after carefully checking her breath, found she was merely asleep.
The wedding maid's mouth twitched hard; this girl from the mountains was indeed different. Marrying into a family with a dying eldest young master, she could still sleep soundly in the bridal sedan. You had to respect her as a tough character.
The wedding maid cleared her throat, while Xingxing hurriedly shook Su Jin awake, "Miss, it's time to get out of the sedan."
Su Jin was sleeping sweetly. Her sleepy eyes were misty as she yawned and climbed out, stepping directly on the bridal veil.
Seeing the shoe print on the bright red veil, the wedding maid's mouth nearly cramped. This bride really had no regard for propriety. But then again, what could one expect from someone from the mountains to know about etiquette? She quickly retrieved the veil, gave it a pat, and covered Su Jin again.
Su Jin was truly groggy from sleep, and the laughter and pointing around brought her a little clarity. Supported by the wedding maid, she entered the Duke Zhen Country Mansion and proceeded to the main hall for the wedding ceremony.
Xingxing supported Su Jin the whole way, whispering in an annoyed voice, "Miss, the Duke Zhen Country Mansion is too much!"
With the veil over her face, Su Jin saw everything in red and was unsure how the Duke Zhen Country Mansion had mistreated her. It seemed the only difference from a regular wedding was the absence of the eldest young master of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion. He was comatose in bed, which was partly her fault, and she couldn't ask for too much.
Just when Su Jin was about to ask, the crowing of a rooster rang out, and her expression turned as dark as a pot's bottom.
Too much indeed!
The Duke Zhen Country Mansion's eldest young master couldn't attend the ceremony, and she didn't care, but did they have to use a rooster to replace him?
Could it be that in the entire Duke Zhen Country Mansion, aside from the eldest young master, there wasn't another young master?!
She held it back.
Su Jin endured until the master of ceremonies called out for the couple to bow to each other and to be ushered into the bridal chamber. Su Jin didn't move; instead, she softly said, "Bring me the rooster."
Xingxing clutched her sleeve, urging her not to cause trouble.
The servant holding the rooster was somewhat baffled, looking towards the Duke Zhen Country Mansion's chief Madam, Princess Nanzhang, seated high above. Princess Nanzhang waved her hand, implying if the bride wanted the rooster, why not give it to her.
The servant handed the rooster to Su Jin, who cautiously received it, stroking it in a dangerously gentle manner. Although everyone's hearts skipped a beat, fearing that Su Jin's gentle hands might suddenly tighten, causing blood to splatter in a display of dominance.
Well, bandits were just so ruthlessly dangerous.
Just as Su Jin turned with the rooster in her arms, it struggled fiercely and flew towards Princess Nanzhang, perched at the head of the hall, frightening her into screaming. Chaos erupted in the main hall as people scrambled to capture the rooster, with feathers flying all over.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the wedding maid hurriedly ushered Su Jin to the bridal chamber. Su Jin held back her laughter all along the way; once inside, she dismissed the maids, and then Xingxing couldn't hold it back, "Miss, why did you act out?"
Princess Nanzhang's gaze could kill. Before leaving, Marquis and Madam instructed her to report any grievances to them, advising her not to confront issues directly. In lowly situations, one shouldn't, in order to stand tall. A clever bandit waits patiently for revenge.
Su Jin tore off the veil and removed the phoenix crown, saying, "I just wanted to tell them that although I am a former mountain bandit, I am also as powerless as a chicken."
Xingxing silently glanced at the man lying unconscious on the bed. Miss had publicly kidnapped the groom; who would believe she couldn't handle a mere chicken now?
Su Jin loosened her neck and walked towards the bed. After waiting so many days, she could finally see with her own eyes what the stunning eldest young master of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion looked like. Upon closer inspection, Su Jin found herself at a loss for words. Despite rummaging through her vocabulary, she couldn't find words to describe him. Dragon posture and phoenix form, natural gentlemanly grace, brighter even than the sun and moon - none could capture one-tenth of it.
He was simply a captivating enigma.
Xingxing stood aside, eyes glistening, lamenting, "Miss, he hasn't woken up till now, is the ritual of joy-bringing no use?"
Su Jin chuckled softly. The ritual wasn't to revive the eldest young master of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion, but to restore their lost dignity, letting others know they were not to be trifled with, and to make her understand what reaping what she sowed meant.
Saving lives was the doctor's job.
Su Jin sat by the bedside, lifted the man's eyelids for a look, then checked his pulse. Xingxing watched in confusion, wondering what the Miss was doing.
The more Su Jin felt his pulse, the more her brow furrowed. She released his hand, then said, "Help me take off his clothes."
Xingxing's face turned a deep red, shyly saying, "Miss, are you intending to force yourself on the groom while he's still alive? I, as your maid, can't help with such things..."
Before she could finish, Su Jin flicked her forehead, "Nonsense. I'm not so desperate."
Xingxing exclaimed, "Then why are we taking off his clothes?"
"To save him!"
"Miss, don't accidentally cause the groom's death."
Su Jin's quick nature took over. While speaking, she already had the groom's clothes off. Seeing Su Jin was serious, Xingxing quickly helped, and they stripped the Duke Zhen Country Mansion's eldest young master's clothes in no time.
Just as they finished, there was a knock on the door. Su Jin hurriedly pulled a quilt over the man and said, "Come in."
Su Jin thought covering Xie Jingchen's nakedness was enough, but she forgot that the groom's clothes they removed were just lying on a small table.
The maid entered, spotting them immediately and standing there stunned, her face gradually turning red as if it might bleed.
Su Jin glanced back. With a twitch of her mouth, it was clear they misunderstood her desperation to consummate the marriage.
Misunderstandings were fine. As a bandit with a notorious reputation, something as trifling as her reputation was as distant as the horizon. Su Jin calmly asked, "What's the matter?"
The maid shook her head repeatedly, "No, it's nothing..."
Poor eldest young master, the Duke Zhen Country Mansion wanted to save him with the joy-bringing ritual. Now it seemed more like sending a lamb to the slaughter. One could only wonder whether under the bride's torment, the groom could survive the night.