Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 151

“Yes, Mother,” Xia Ying replied calmly, sitting with a composed elegance befitting the daughter of a noble family. Her crimson red embroidered gown, adorned with golden phoenix motifs, exuded an air of wealth and splendour beyond words.

Upon her head rested an eight-phoenix coronet, the same level of distinction as that of the Crown Princess, just one phoenix shy of the Empress’ own crown. Yun Ke was an Imperial Prince, and as the wife of an Imperial Prince, she was entitled to this phoenix crown.

Madam Xia felt a surge of emotion and her eyes reddened slightly. Her daughter was beautiful, graceful, and refined. What mother would not feel proud? To have such accidents happen today was really was a pity..

“My poor daughter!” Grief spilled over Madam Xia from the bottom of her heart. She raised her handkerchief, about to burst into tears. So many misfortunes had befallen them. First her daughter had lost her chastity before marriage, and now Imperial Prince An refused to personally escort his bride…

“Madam,” Nanny Li, standing nearby, reminded her, “Today is Miss’ joyous day.”

Nanny Li’s serious words immediately stopped An Le Marquis’ wife’s crying. She quickly dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her silk handkerchief and said repeatedly, “Yes, yes, yes. Today is Ying’er’s joyous day.” With the An Le Marquis’ residence already panicked outside, if she caused further chaos, the entire household would fall apart.

However, with the high-ranking officials crowding the courtyard outside to extend their congratulations while such a spectacle unfolded, the An Le Marquis’ residence’s reputation had been completely shattered.

And there was no way to act against the young man either. The Eldest Princess’ jade pendant was in his hand and all the officials present to congratulate them could see it. They wanted to quietly kidnap the young man and deal with him, but that was out of the question.

“Ying’er, what should we do?” Madam Xia was completely at a loss and looked desperately at her daughter, who remained poised and upright.

“Don’t worry, Mother,” Xia Ying said calmly, “No matter what, I am Imperial Prince An’s primary consort. Once the auspicious hour arrives, we will proceed with the sedan.”

This… What she said was right, but no matter how you looked at it, it still appeared as though her daughter was being neglected and slighted.

Nonetheless, Madam Xia harboured her own hidden thoughts. She thought that as long as her daughter successfully entered Imperial Prince An’s household and secured her position as Imperial Prince An’s primary consort, everything else could be addressed later. Let the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence have their moment of glory for now.

Both the An Le Marquis’ and Ding Yuan Marquis’ residences were marrying off daughters today. However, the bride from the An Le Marquis’ residence was the Imperial Prince’s primary consort. Moreover, the An Le Marquis’ residence was an old and influential family in the capital with complex and far-reaching connections. As a result, most imperial court ministers chose to congratulate the An Le Marquis’ residence. In comparison, the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence was noticeably quieter.

The street outside was sparsely populated. There was not even a servant stationed at the beginning of the street to keep watch. It was clear to everyone that there was no chance of Imperial Prince An personally coming to the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence to escort his secondary consort. So, although the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence had its gates wide open, apart from some superficial red decorations, there was little festive atmosphere.
They were merely waiting for the auspicious hour, anticipating that the Imperial Prince An’s palace would send a modest sedan chair to carry Gu Yu Qi to Imperial Prince An’s palace. That would mark the end of this wedding ceremony.
Hence, when Imperial Prince An’s procession appeared at the end of the street, the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence was entirely unaware of it.
It was Wang Yan who came bounding into the Danxia Courtyard, his face beaming with joy, “His Highness Imperial Prince An has arrived!”
The news spread like a spark igniting a pool of oil, exploding into a flurry of activity.
“His Highness Imperial Prince An has come?” Gu Si Yang, who had been accompanying his eldest sister, looked astonished and overjoyed. “Is it true?”
“It’s true, it’s true!” Wang Yan nodded enthusiastically, his excitement palpable. In his eyes, it was only natural. After all, his master had pursued Miss Gu for thousands of miles. How could he not find a way to personally escort her back to his residence today?! Although he did not know how his master had managed to skilfully avoid the An Le Marquis’ residence, he felt that the process was unimportant and the result was all that mattered.
“Then what are we waiting for?!” Gu Si Yang immediately stood up, but his injured leg, unable to bear his weight, gave way and caused him to stumble backward. At that moment, a pair of warm yet strong hands supported his lower back just in time. Turning his head, he met a pair of silent but gentle eyes, “Thank you, Ran Mo.”
Ran Mo was characteristically quiet. She nodded briefly and stepped aside.
“Hurry, hurry. Help me to the front gate. I want to light the firecrackers for Eldest Sister,” Gu Si Yang said, hobbling forward on his injured leg. The more anxious he became, the more difficult it was for him to make progress.
Just as Gu Si Yang was caught in an awkward and frustrated struggle, he suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground. The world around him blurred as the scenery on either side sped past.
Uh… What was happening?! Gu Si Yang was initially startled, but when he saw who was carrying him, his heart settled.
It was the ever-silent Ran Mo.
Gu Si Yang’s current situation was undeniably awkward. He was a young man being carried like a princess by a strong young woman. Gu Si Yang’s cheeks flushed faintly with pink, but he did not resist Ran Mo’s touch.
Strangely enough, after his leg had been injured, his mind seemed to open up. Spending time Gu Yu Qi’s place, he found himself growing increasingly fond of Ran Mo’s silent companionship. She never said much, merely standing by quietly to protect him and stepping in to support him only when he was about to fall or get hurt. That was enough for Gu Si Yang. Being around Ran Mo brought him an unparalleled sense of peace and security.

Ran Mo carried Gu Si Yang to the front gate and lit the firecrackers that had been prepared in advance. The crackling explosions startled the rest of the household. Gu Huai Zhong and Liu Yue hurriedly came out with Gu Si Yu in tow. Seeing that it was Gu Si Yang who had lit the firecrackers, Gu Huai Zhong sighed softly. “This child… Your leg is injured, so stop running around recklessly.”

“Father, His Highness Imperial Prince An is coming!” Gu Si Yang, his face full of excitement, pointed towards the end of the street as he spoke to Gu Huai Zhong.

“How could that be…” Gu Huai Zhong said, but his gaze still reflexively followed the direction of his son’s finger. What he saw left him utterly stunned.

Through the lingering smoke of the firecrackers, an imposing procession slowly made its way towards the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence. At the forefront was the Imperial Prince’s standard banner, followed by ceremonial wedding banners. Musicians began playing as they neared the Ding Yuan Marquis’ gates, and drummers pounded their flowered drums to a deafening crescendo. Mounted on a tall, snowy white steed was a man dressed in the ceremonial robes of an Imperial Prince, sitting with dignified composure. His golden crown adorned with coiled silk dragons shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. Beneath the dragon crown, his features were as if carved from ice and jade and his expression carried a faint trace of joy. His deep, icy eyes seemed to hold a warmth capable of melting all things. The crimson wedding robes he wore were embroidered with golden four-clawed dragons concealed among rainbow-hued auspicious clouds, appearing ready to leap out at any moment.

“It’s true… It’s really His Highness Imperial Prince An!” Gu Huai Zhong was so astonished he was left utterly speechless. This… This… This… He flitted his gaze around aimlessly, like a headless fly. What was he supposed to do? Someone save him, what was he supposed to do next? He had assumed that since his daughter was merely a secondary consort, the prince’s household would just send a modest escort to carry her over in a simple ceremony. Never had he imagined that His Highness the Imperial Prince would come in person. The unexpected situation left Gu Huai Zhong completely unprepared, fumbling and flustered.

“Firecrackers!” Liu Yue quickly reminded her husband from the side. “It’s always right to keep setting off firecrackers!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Gu Huai Zhong finally regained his wits. “Someone! Light firecrackers!”

The servants quickly fetched more firecrackers from inside the residence, setting them off with a series of loud bangs. Red fragments scattered down the street as the explosions echoed.

Yun Ke could barely contain the joy surging in his heart. Why did this road feel so endlessly long?

It was not like this was his first time as a groom.

In his past life and this one, he had already been through this experience at least twice. Yet now, he felt like a nervous and inexperienced young lad, his heart almost leaping out of his chest.

He had long vowed to marry Gu Yu Qi properly. Even if the An Le Marquis’ residence interfered, so what? If he set his mind to something, it would be done.

He had arrived, but where was she?

As the sound of firecrackers from the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence subsided, Yun Ke urged his horse forward and dismounted at the front gate.

“Greetings, Father-in-law,” he said respectfully, bowing to Gu Huai Zhong. His sharp gaze, however, briefly swept over Liu Yue, chilling her to the bone.

Gu Huai Zhong’s grin was already stretched from ear to ear. He quickly knelt to return the courtesy. “Welcome, Your Highness Imperial Prince An! May Your Highness live a thousand years!”

“Please rise, Father-in-law,” Yun Ke reached out to support Gu Huai Zhong, helping him up.

“Quickly, quickly,” Gu Si Yang exclaimed in delight. “Eldest Sister is in Danxia Courtyard. I will go fetch Eldest Sister immediately!”

“You child, your sister has bridal attendants to assist her. What are you rushing about for?” Gu Huai Zhong said with a laugh.

Gu Si Yang scratched his head sheepishly, “I didn’t know.”

Seeing Gu Si Yang’s genuine joy for his eldest sister, Yun Ke could not help but pat Gu Si Yang’s shoulder, “You’re very good.”

“Thank you, Brother-in-law,” Gu Si Yang replied with a grin and a cupped fist salute.

Hearing the term “Brother-in-law” made Yun Ke feel a warm contentment, as if every fibre of his being was at ease. His lips curved into a faint smile. “Is there something you would like?” Yun Ke asked Gu Si Yang gently.

Gu Si Yang was startled for a moment, then spoke somewhat shyly, “Could Brother-in-law please ask Eldest Sister if Ran Mo might stay by my side for a while?”

Behind him, Ran Mo widened her eyes slightly but her quiet nature prevailed and she quickly lowered her gaze.

This… Yun Ke was a little afraid to agree. If Gu Si Yang had asked for money or possessions, he could have agreed without hesitation. But if he wanted Ran Mo… That was not a decision he dared make on Gu Yu Qi’s behalf.

“You should speak to your Eldest Sister about this yourself,” Yun Ke replied lightly, “If you need anything else, you can come to this prince.”

“Alright, alright! Your Eldest Sister is coming out!” While Yun Ke had been talking to Gu Si Yang, Gu Yu Qi emerged gracefully from the residence, supported by bridal attendants.

Gu Huai Zhong took his daughter’s hand and solemnly placed it in Yun Ke’s. At the moment their hands touched, Yun Ke felt as if the world had frozen. Everything else dissolved into nothingness, leaving only two people in this world, him and Gu Yu Qi.