The Huo residence was much livelier than the Ji residence.
When Ji Yuluo, holding the red silk ribbon, entered the front courtyard, the seats were already filled with guests. Most of those attending the wedding banquet were either connected with the Jinyiwei or influential in the court, so amidst the noisy congratulations, there were also compliments. Some even praised the couple’s compatibility, calling them a match made in heaven despite the bride’s face being covered by a veil.
The person at the other end of the red ribbon seemed to enjoy these flattering words. Even with his vision obstructed, Ji Yuluo could hear him laughing. His laughter encouraged even more enthusiastic compliments.
Thus, the two of them, surrounded by the lively crowd, proceeded to the hall. The next ritual was to bow to the elders, but when it was time to bow to the parents, the noise in the courtyard quieted down a bit because the seats for the elders were empty.
Everyone knew the reason for this, but it still caused a bit of awkwardness at this moment.
While others felt awkward, Huo Xian was not embarrassed at all. He continued with the ceremony with a cheerful demeanor and was about to escort Ji Yuluo to the bridal chamber amid the calls of the wedding attendants.
At this moment, someone called out, “Zhe’an!”
Ji Yuluo, still with her head covered, only saw the person wearing a pair of elaborately embroidered black boots with gold thread and inlaid with pearls and jade, which were even more extravagant than those worn by women. It was obvious he was some pampered young master.
As expected, he said, “I stole two jars of good wine from my father. Hurry up, we’ve been waiting for you!”
Huo Xian smiled and said, “What’s the rush? I need to escort my bride to the bridal chamber.”
Ji Yuluo turned slightly towards Huo Xian and said, “Husband, you may go. There is a nanny to guide me, it’s no trouble.”
Hearing this, the pampered young man clicked his tongue and said, “Sister-in-law is really sensible, no wonder Zhe’an likes her.”
Huo Xian, not really wanting to escort Ji Yuluo back to the room, gave the nanny a few instructions and then was half-dragged away by that young man.
The inner courtyard of the Huo residence was vast. As they walked, the guiding nanny explained, “The rear courtyard is divided into East and West wings. The master usually stays in the East wing, while the concubines live in the West wing. The master likes quiet, and without permission, the concubines are not allowed to enter the East wing. Madam can be at ease.”
Ji Yuluo, staring at the stone-paved path, responded absentmindedly, thinking about the young man who came to find Huo Xian for a drink. She hadn’t seen his face, but his voice and tone sounded very familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. However, she couldn’t recall who he was at the moment.
The nanny chattered on about the household until they reached the new room, having almost completely introduced the entire place.
The maidservants who came with the dowry and those serving in the courtyard filed in, carrying her dowry chests and setting them up neatly. They then stood in front of her in an orderly manner, waiting for instructions.
Ji Yuluo dismissed everyone except Biwu and Hongshuang.
She lifted the bridal veil and saw a pair of red candles on the round mahogany table and a pair of wine cups beside the wine jug. Glancing around, she noticed that all the furnishings in the room were extremely luxurious. The footstool under the bed was made of jade, and the bedposts were inlaid with fist-sized luminous pearls, likely used in place of oil lamps. The incense burner on the corner of the table was gilded, and there was a painting hanging behind the study desk—
This painting was titled “Iron Horse Glacier,” created by Taoist Master Wu Qingzi, who had since retired into seclusion. Even good imitations of his works were now worth thousands of gold pieces. This painting was originally part of a pair. Ji Yuluo had seen the other piece, called “Listening to the Rain at Night,” in Xie Subai’s study.
Given Huo Xian’s style, if he had hung this painting on the wall, it could not possibly be a forgery. It was just surprising to find the original in the Huo residence.
But upon careful thought, it wasn’t unexpected.
The Huo residence was lavishly decorated, showcasing luxury everywhere. With the salary of a fourth-rank official, it would take him several lifetimes to accumulate such wealth. The current corrupt state of the court meant that even officials from outside the capital had to bribe the Jinyiwei to get an audience with the emperor. Therefore, it was no surprise that Huo Xian could obtain whatever he desired.
Just as Ji Yuluo was lost in thought, staring at the painting, a soft knock came from the door. Knowing that the banquet would end late tonight and that the bride would have to wait for a long time, a maid from the kitchen thoughtfully brought a bowl of red date porridge.
Biwu presented the porridge but sighed softly.
Ji Yuluo, indeed hungry, took a spoonful and asked, noticing her worried expression, “What’s wrong?”
Biwu frowned and said, “On the very first day of marriage, even before entering the residence, there was such a huge commotion with the assassination. How are we to live in the future? I heard that assassinations at the Huo residence are a common occurrence. In the future, won’t we have to sleep with a dagger under the pillow to feel safe? Miss, this really…”
Ji Yuluo, eating her porridge, said, “The Huo residence has many guards, there should be no problem.”
Biwu thought that her young mistress had become increasingly brave. She moved her lips but said nothing more, finally lamenting, “The young master who stopped the Lord Huo—the groom—to drink is the young master of the Xiao family from the General’s Mansion. He is known for frequenting brothels, drinking flower wine, and causing injuries in the busy streets. In short, he is a scoundrel. I hope he doesn’t come to the residence often in the future, it would be best to avoid him.”
Biwu, being a maid from the inner chambers, was privy to such gossip without having to seek it out. However, these trivial matters were not enough to bother Ji Yuluo. She just nodded absentmindedly.
As they chatted, the sky outside gradually darkened, but the distant noise continued unabated. After a while, a maid from the inner courtyard called Biwu away, leaving only Hongshuang in the room.
Once the door was closed, Ji Yuluo immediately looked at Hongshuang.
Hongshuang took out a white porcelain bottle from her sleeve, poured out a brown pill, and said, “Miss, this medicine acts quickly. It will slow the blood flow in your body, cause dizziness, and then you’ll lose consciousness. From the pulse, it will just seem like weakness, nothing else will be noticeable.”
Ji Yuluo hid the pill in her sash and nodded just as she heard faint voices from a distance. She quickly covered her head with the veil again and told Hongshuang, “You should go out.”
Hongshuang hesitated for a moment, worried, but eventually left with a frown.
Ji Yuluo sat quietly for a while longer until she heard the door creak open. The smell of alcohol wafted in, but the person walked steadily, indicating he was not drunk.
The footsteps stopped by the round table, followed by the sound of water being poured. The person lingered for a long time without coming closer.
Under the bridal veil, Ji Yuluo frowned. She had taken the pill when Huo Xian entered, not expecting him to delay so long. The medicine was already taking effect; she felt the phoenix crown pressing heavily on her head and wished he would lift her veil soon so she could pass out and sleep until morning.
But it seemed Huo Xian was deliberately taking his time. After drinking several cups of water, he finally approached but only to sit in the chair in front of her, looking like he intended to have a long conversation.
His voice was calm, without the joy from the wedding ceremony earlier, “Miss Ji must have heard about the discord between your father and me. Requesting this marriage from the emperor was intentional on my part. This marriage is indeed unfair to you. I won’t make things difficult for you. If you behave and cooperate, the people in the residence will respect you. All expenses for the inner courtyard will be handled according to the rules. If you need anything else, you can ask the steward. Your life here will not be worse than in the Ji residence.”
Ji Yuluo: “…”
The medicine was taking effect, and she felt a chill spreading through her body, forcing her to clench her teeth.
Huo Xian, having drunk tonight and put on a show in the front hall for half the day, was now showing signs of irritation and fatigue. Seeing her remain silent, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone grew colder, losing the last bit of courtesy he had shown. He said indifferently, “If you don’t understand, think about it more. Don’t be as stubborn as your father and suffer needlessly.”
With that, Huo Xian was about to get up.
As he turned, he noticed Ji Yuluo’s hands tightly clasped and trembling slightly. Hesitating for just a moment, he reached out and lifted her veil without using the jade ruyi. Beneath the veil, he saw her shivering, her eyes reddened. As she tried to stand, supporting herself on the bedpost, she staggered back a step.
Ji Yuluo was annoyed with herself.
Seeing him talk, she had used her inner strength to slow the effects of the medicine, fearing it would act too quickly. Now she was stuck in the chilling phase and couldn’t faint immediately. She raised her head, only to see the figure before her blur into multiple images, and she took a step back.
“I…”
She pushed her inner strength, letting the medicine swiftly spread throughout her body. Ji Yuluo then decisively collapsed in front of Huo Xian, losing consciousness.
