Chapter 432: Amidst the Wedding
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The Fu family was also one of the top families in Jiangnan, and Fu Zifei was the daughter of the clan leader. How could she not have seen these good things before? Just by seeing how calm she remained when she received so many gifts on the first day, it was clear that she wasn’t superficial. So her current emotion and tears were all fake.
This girl was much smarter than she was back then and much more capable than Wenwen. Mingzhu sighed inwardly and looked into Fu Zifei’s eyes seriously. “We are family, and it’s natural to treat each other well. You must remember, as long as the bloodline continues, the Fu family will not perish.”
She hoped that Fu Zifei would understand her meaning and not make the wrong choice at a critical moment. It was pitiful for relatives to fight each other.
Fu Zifei’s eyes flickered, and she smiled, saying softly, “I remember, Aunt.”
The aunt and niece finished breakfast in silence, and the servants came to report that Ying Wang had come to escort them. Mingzhu leisurely rinsed her mouth and washed her hands, then, just like when she took care of Wenwen and the others, she smiled and helped Fu Zifei apply hand cream before signaling for her to follow.
Yuwen Chu was talking with Fu Cong and others at the door, dressed in a green prince’s attire, standing straight in front of the carriage. He slightly bent his body as he approached, looking attentively at Fu Cong while listening to him speak. He appeared gentle, respectful, handsome, and noble, shining brightly in the morning light.
Fu Zifei looked at Yuwen Chu curiously, her face flushing slightly as she whispered, “Is that Uncle?” She hadn’t seen such a young and dazzlingly bright man before. She had seen many handsome men, but none as noble and restrained as him.
Mingzhu also couldn’t look away, absent-mindedly saying, “Yes.”
Fu Zifei whispered, “Uncle and Aunt really match well.”
Yuwen Chu heard the movement and looked over in their direction. His eyes sparkled like obsidian in the morning light. He slightly raised the corners of his lips and silently looked at her, able to engulf her with just his gaze.
But it had only been a day and a night since they last met, yet Mingzhu felt a sense of distance between them, her heart uncontrollably pounding. Her face was a little warm and uncomfortable, and she struggled to make herself appear dignified, elegant, and calm as she respectfully greeted him, “I greet Your Highness.”
“Please rise.” Yuwen Chu walked over, naturally taking her hand and holding it tighter as he said to Fu Cong, “It’s getting late. I’ll take my leave, Father-in-law.”
Fu Cong smiled, “Go ahead.”
According to Yuwen Chu’s intention, Mingzhu was supposed to sit in the prince’s carriage with him, but Mingzhu stopped in front of the carriage and smiled faintly, “I’ll go with my carriage.”
Yuwen Chu frowned, “Are you still angry?”
Mingzhu shook her head and whispered, “Aren’t we supposed to put on a show? Then let’s do the whole thing.” Then, raising her voice, she pointed at Fu Zifei and said, “Zifei will follow me. I have to take care of her. I’ll have her ride in my carriage.”
Yuwen Chu squeezed her hand heavily and let it go.
Mingzhu got into her carriage and instructed Su Lan to bring a hand warmer for Fu Zifei, saying, “The climate in the capital is not as warm as in Jiangnan. Hold on to this.”
Fu Zifei thanked her and excitedly said, “Aunt, could you tell me about your childhood? I heard that you grew up in front of the Great Empress Dowager.”
“These things, you’ll know gradually in the future. Let me tell you about the rules of the palace banquet and the people who will be here today first.” Mingzhu lowered her voice, “You must remember, your surname is Fu, and you absolutely cannot make any mistakes.”
Fu Zifei’s smile faded, and she reluctantly said, “Yes.”
The royal wedding was very cumbersome. As someone who had experienced it twice, Mingzhu was extremely familiar with it. She carefully explained every rule to Fu Zifei, who listened attentively.
Some people found Fu Zifei unfamiliar, and because of the rumors of discord between Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu, they deliberately came over to greet Mingzhu and asked who Fu Zifei was. “This girl is really beautiful. She looks somewhat similar to you. Who is she?”
Fu Zifei shyly lowered her head, while Mingzhu straightforwardly said, “She’s my niece from my maternal family, just arrived from Jiangnan.” She introduced the person to Fu Zifei and asked her to take care of her in the future.
So everyone knew that she was one of the future concubines. All kinds of scrutinizing gazes fell on Fu Zifei, and Mingzhu deliberately observed to see if Fu Zifei could handle it. She found that although Fu Zifei was somewhat uncomfortable, she still overall remained composed, so Mingzhu looked at her with even higher regard.
As the wedding ceremony reached the point of paying respects to the ancestral temple, there was suddenly a low commotion in the crowd. Hua Yang Wangfei pulled Mingzhu’s sleeve and whispered, “Strange! Why is the female official by the Wusun Princess’s side Jiang Shanshan? Her reputation is so bad, and there have been recent rumors that Linan Wang wants to take her as a concubine. How can the Wusun Princess tolerate her? It’s so strange!”
Mingzhu looked up and saw Jiang Shanshan wearing the same fifth-rank female official attire she had worn during the engagement ceremony between Yuwen You and the Wusun Princess. She was walking dignifiedly alongside Yuwen You and the Wusun Princess, and it was evident that her legs were somewhat uncomfortable, yet she didn’t show any signs of it on her face.
Seeing this, Mingzhu couldn’t help but admire Jiang Shanshan. She had shot an arrow through Jiang Shanshan’s foot herself. How painful that must have been! It had only been a few days, yet Jiang Shanshan was able to endure the pain and attend this wedding! What kind of person was she?
Jiang Shanshan noticed Mingzhu’s gaze and looked at her from afar. She pointed her index finger forward and raised her thumb, curling the rest of her fingers into her palm, provocatively smiling and showing a row of white teeth, implying that she would take her down with one shot and challenged her to wait and see who would emerge victorious.
Mingzhu didn’t understand the specific meaning of her gesture, but since she was provoking her, she couldn’t ignore it. So she silently said to Jiang Shanshan, “A despicable person is indeed so dramatic.”
Jiang Shanshan understood what Mingzhu meant and instantly stopped smiling, turning her head expressionlessly. She wanted to retort, but she didn’t know if Mingzhu understood lip reading.
Just as Mingzhu was about to withdraw her gaze, she saw Yuwen You’s head slightly turn in their direction, his eyes coldly staring at them, which was particularly terrifying. It was like a venomous snake lurking at the entrance of a cave, waiting to suddenly strike if she wasn’t careful.
Hua Yang Wangfei pulled at Mingzhu’s sleeve and disdainfully whispered, “I had someone inquire about it. It turns out she went to complain to Princess Wusun, and then Princess Wusun actually believed her words. She personally went to the Empress Dowager and said she doesn’t understand our language, and she doesn’t trust anyone else, requesting to have her serve as a female official on the side. Isn’t Princess Wusun naive? Isn’t this inviting trouble? Could it be that after marriage, she will also let Jiang Shanshan be the translator for her and Linan Wang?”
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