Today, Duan Mingxi didn’t see Duchess Wei. Whether it was because the woman didn’t want to appear before her, or someone had told her to stay away from the bridal chamber, Mingxi didn’t know.
Either way, not having to see someone who would sour her mood made her quite happy.
Xu Nanxi, who was close to Mingxi, chatted with her about the guests outside. Since it was the wedding of a prince, nearly every noble and aristocratic family in the capital had come.
Among those with whom Mingxi had a good relationship, even Dingyuan Marquis’s residence and Duan Wang’s side had sent their gifts. Mingxi slowly listened to Xu Nanxi speaking, nodding occasionally.
Later, Xu Nanxi began talking about Jin Wangfei, saying, “According to the rules, Jin Wangfei should be your older sister-in-law. She should be here today, accompanying you in the bridal chamber. I didn’t expect her to be so arrogant, not even showing her face.”
Madam Wang lightly coughed and glanced at her younger sister-in-law.
Xu Nanxi continued, “Sister-in-law, am I wrong? There’s definitely some distance between us, and if we follow the proper protocol, we should actually rank behind Jin Wangfei.”
Madam Wang quickly looked at Mingxi. Seeing that she didn’t seem displeased, she softly said, “Today is a happy day, why speak of such things? Let’s talk about something cheerful instead.”
However, Xu Nanxi said, “It’s better to say it now, otherwise, tomorrow when Sister-in-law enters the palace, if Jin Wangfei accuses us of something, what will we do? This is called knowing yourself and the enemy, and winning every battle.”
Madam Wang had nothing to say. Normally, her younger sister-in-law was gentle and dignified, but since meeting Duan Wangfei, she had become so sharp and competitive.
Since that was the case, Madam Wang decided to speak up. “Today, the Crown Princess and Yu Wangfei didn’t attend because they are both pregnant and not in a condition to show themselves, but they did send their congratulatory gifts. Also, today, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Yu Wang both attended.”
Mingxi’s expression subtly shifted upon hearing that the Crown Prince had come.
She knew that the Crown Prince must harbor deep resentment towards Xiao Muchen after all their private exchanges. However, at this time, the Crown Prince’s absence would be difficult to explain to the Emperor.
“Not that I’m stirring up trouble,” Madam Wang said, “but Xu Nanxi speaks the truth. The wedding arrangements should have been handled by the groom’s side. Though Wangfei married into the royal family, the proper etiquette still stands. By status, the Crown Princess should be in charge today, but as she is pregnant, the Crown Prince’s heir must come first, so we cannot demand it. As for Yu Wangfei, her health hasn’t been great since her pregnancy, so she cannot appear in such a setting. If something were to happen, no one could bear the responsibility. The only one left is Jin Wangfei, but she didn’t want to bother, so it’s another matter.”
The “another matter” meant that it depended on whether Duan Wang would mind.
If he minded, Duan Wang would naturally speak to Jin Wang, and how they negotiated would be up to the couple.
Jin Wang was known to favor Side Consort Qian, and his relationship with Jin Wangfei had been strained for a while. Furthermore, there had been rumors about the miscarriage of Side Consort Qian’s child, which was often blamed on Jin Wangfei, so Jin Wang would certainly seize the opportunity to stir trouble in their marriage.
Madam Wang spoke simply but with care, and Mingxi nodded slightly, smiling as she said, “Sister-in-law is right. We’ll see what Wangye decides.”
If you think about it, Consort Gui and Consort Shu were on good terms, and as the daughter-in-law of Consort Gui, Jin Wangfei should have followed her elders’ example, which would have been the smart choice. However, Jin Wangfei insisted on following the Queen’s lead. Since the Empress didn’t favor her, she naturally chose to make trouble.
From this, Mingxi could tell that Jin Wangfei was firmly aligned with her own family, which explained why Jin Wang favored Side Consort Qian. After all, no one wanted their spouse to have divided loyalties.
The three of them had a simple dinner. Then, the housekeeper entered to clear the table and bring tea.
After drinking her tea, Madam Wang quickly led Xu Nanxi out. “You’ve worked hard today, Wangfei, please rest early.”
Xu Nanxi hesitated and looked at Mingxi. “Are we leaving already?”
Mingxi smiled and said, “I’m fine, why are you worried? We’re in Duan Wang’s residence.”
Xu Nanxi: ….
That makes sense!
Thus, she followed her sister-in-law out. When they were about to leave the courtyard, Madam Wang couldn’t help but say to Xu Nanxi, “Although Wangfei is our relative, you should still be careful with your words and actions.”
This Wangfei was not someone to be provoked. Before she was married, she had a conflict with her mother-in-law and had never set foot in Duke Wei’s residence since then. Moreover, Duan Wang had even had a falling out with his own maternal uncle over her. The entire Duke Wei’s household treated Duan Wangfei with extreme caution.
Xu Nanxi, linking her arm with her sister-in-law, said, “Mingxi is not a petty person. I’ve known her for so long, and we have a good relationship.”
Madam Wang, however, was worried. If Duan Wangfei and her mother-in-law remained in a tense standoff, it would be difficult for the two families to grow closer.
As the younger generation caught between her mother-in-law and the Duke’s household, Madam Wang felt as though she were walking on hot coals.
Looking at her cheerful younger sister-in-law, she smiled. Life was definitely easier when she was a young unmarried girl.
On the other side, Mingxi, after rinsing her mouth and washing her face, went to the inner chamber and sat on a soft couch. Through a hanging flower door, she could faintly hear the laughter from the outer courtyard.
Today, Mingxi was indeed a bit tired. She had been on edge all day, but now she could finally relax.
She thought about what Madam Wang and Nanxi had said earlier. Jin Wangfei was not a fool. Normally, she should have at least appeared to keep up appearances. But, without even that, it seemed that someone had instructed her not to come.
Mingxi didn’t need to think hard to know who that person was – it had to be the Empress.
Jin Wangfei, who didn’t even care to check on her new sister-in-law, just casually sat outside eating at the banquet. What would the other noble ladies in the capital think?
It was a subtle power move, an attempt to step on her.
Fortunately, Mingxi had already built a good reputation in the capital. The result of Jin Wangfei’s move would not be as she had hoped.
As expected, the noble ladies who were friendly with Mingxi, each a Matriarch of their family, would have been calculating in their minds when they saw Jin Wangfei sitting there so comfortably.
Fuchang Marquis Madam was particularly upset. Sitting next to her was the Old Madam of the Deqing Marquis’s household. Since the incident with Fu Hongxiao, the old Deqing Marquis had been forced to pass his title to his eldest son, and after the family’s breakup, he moved out with his favorite concubine.
She gave Deqing Marquis Madam no face at all, which caused the madam to fall ill for quite some time. Fortunately, with her son and daughter showing filial piety by her side, and her elder brother and sister-in-law offering their counsel, she eventually came around. She now keeps a statue of Buddha at home and recites scriptures daily, gradually letting go of her resentment.
The old Deqing Marquis never liked her, so why was she so obsessed with him?
People are strange; when they can’t let go, they feel overwhelmed with countless worries, as if they can’t go on living. But once they let go, it just doesn’t matter that much anymore.
“Jin Wangfei is doing this to show us, isn’t she? Just trying to step on Duan Wangfei,” Fuchang Marquis Madam whispered to Deqing Marquis Madam, her tone sharp.
Deqing Marquis Madam was soft-hearted toward her blind husband but wasn’t foolish. “What do you want to do? Today is a joyous occasion, we can’t let things get messy.”
We can’t cause trouble for Duan Wangfei.
