Where the Mask Ends - Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Following Emperor Yuanjia’s decree, the Imperial Bureau of Palace Attire began rushing the creation of the wedding dress yesterday afternoon. Working through the night without a moment’s rest, by dusk today, they had finally completed the intricate gown and ceremonial cape required by the bride. These were embroiderers carefully selected for their skill to serve the nobility; even though the timeframe was incredibly tight, there was not a single point of carelessness in the attire. Using the highest-grade tribute silk combined with exquisite needlework, in terms of sheer magnificence and elegance, this wedding set likely did not lose out to that of a princess.
Wei Rao finished changing into the wedding dress, and supported by Bitao and Liuya, she walked out slowly.
Old Madame Wei, Lady Shou’an, Madam Guo, Wei Chan, Madam Wang, and the sisters Zhou Huizhen and Zhou Huizhu were all waiting outside the folding screen. When a figure flashed behind the screen, all the women stared fixedly. Upon seeing the spread of the magnificent gown and Wei Rao, who looked like a celestial fairy descending from a divine palace, the expressions on the women’s faces became incredibly vivid.
There were those who felt both pride and pity: Old Madame Wei and Lady Shou’an, proud of Wei Rao’s beauty, yet pitying that she was only marrying to perform a luck-changing ritual.
There were those who felt envy and jealousy: Madam Guo, Wei Chan, Madam Wang, and Zhou Huizhen.
And there was one who was so stunned she could not speak, followed by silly, joyous laughter: that was the cousin who had always been close to Wei Rao, Zhou Huizhu.
"Put on the phoenix crown and try it," Old Madame Wei instructed Feicui.
Before Feicui could act, the female officials sent from the palace lifted the heavy phoenix crown—resting on a tray covered in red silk—with both hands and carefully placed it upon Wei Rao’s head. This crown was also an imperial gift, prepared by the palace for a princess awaiting marriage. Since Emperor Yuanjia had no daughters, there had been several princesses in the reigns of the previous emperors and those before them; naturally, there were plenty of phoenix crowns already prepared.
The crown was a double-dragon, single-phoenix design. The pure gold cap was covered in kingfisher-feather inlay and jewelry. Just on the front section, there were no fewer than ten rubies and sapphires the size of a thumb, not to mention the clusters and rows of bean-sized small gemstones inlaid along the brim and other edges. Just this single crown—if one were to melt the gold and pry off the gems and pearls to sell individually—could fetch tens of thousands of taels of silver.
The more Madam Guo looked, the more sour her heart became. When her eldest daughter married Prince Duan as a princess consort, the pomp and grandeur were not much more than this. Wei Rao was merely marrying a dying heir to the Duke of Ying; by what right did this attire not lose out to her eldest daughter’s in the slightest?
On one hand, Madam Guo felt Wei Rao was unworthy; on the other, she felt incomparable regret. If her second daughter, Wei Chan, were the one marrying Lu Zhuo, wearing such an outfit, then in the eyes of the entire capital, her daughter’s marriage would be the most glorious!
Madam Guo had at least seen similar finery before, but Wei Rao’s aunt, Madam Wang, and cousin, Zhou Huizhen, had never seen such things in their lives. Both pairs of eyes were glued tightly to those dazzling, gorgeous gemstones!
"Alright, take it off," Lady Shou’an said with a smile, seeing Wei Rao’s face contorted from the weight of the crown.
The moment the phoenix crown was removed, Wei Rao truly let out a breath of relief.
The phoenix crown and ceremonial cape fit perfectly. Wei Rao went inside to change, and the female officials from the Bureau of Palace Attire prepared to return to the palace to report the completion of their task.
Wei Rao was to be married tomorrow, and both Old Madame Wei and Lady Shou’an wanted to share some intimate words with their own beloved treasures.
The two old ladies looked at each other; neither was willing to leave, so they first dismissed their respective daughters-in-law and granddaughters.
"Relative, you have been exhausted for two days managing the wedding arrangements; hurry and rest. I will sit with Rao Rao for a while longer." Lady Shou’an sat herself down on Wei Rao’s bed and said to Old Madame Wei with a beaming smile.
Old Madame Wei thought to herself: Your own daughter has remarried; whom are you calling 'relative'?
However, Old Madame Wei knew that Lady Shou’an was someone who did not abide by rules. If she were to argue with Lady Shou’an, the only person who would end up angry was herself.
"I will go rest on the couch in the outer room. Say what you have to say quickly." Old Madame Wei decided to yield a step; she would come back in once Lady Shou’an had left.
Wei Rao personally helped Old Madame Wei to the outer room. The maids also stayed outside to attend to their grandmother, and Wei Rao walked back in alone.
"Grandmother is always being bullied by you, Maternal Grandmother," Wei Rao said very impartially, sitting down beside Lady Shou’an.
Lady Shou’an snorted. "How much filial piety do you show her in a year, and how much do you show me?"
Wei Rao stopped arguing back and knelt on the seat behind Lady Shou’an, wanting to help her grandmother knead her back.
Lady Shou’an pulled her back around and grasped Wei Rao’s small hands. "Fine, who asked you to be so clever? You have to rise early tomorrow and you will be exhausted, so I won't talk nonsense. First, let me tell you about the dowry gifts I am adding for you."
Years ago, when Lady Shou’an moved out of the palace, Emperor Yuanjia bestowed upon her a leisure villa, a thousand mu of fertile land, and several chests of gold and jewelry.
Lady Shou’an had thought that this family fortune of hers would eventually be divided among her grandchildren.
The leisure villa was too eye-catching; ordinary nobles felt guilty even living in it, so Lady Shou’an would leave the villa to her grandson, the Fourth Prince.
The thousand mu of land was to be divided into five portions: Zhou Huizhen, Zhou Huizhu, Wei Rao, Huo Jue, and Huo Lin would each receive two hundred mu. These fertile fields were not all joined in one contiguous piece, which was why there were so many land deeds. Having been out of the palace for so many years, Lady Shou’an had used the rewards from Emperor Yuanjia and the income from the fields to acquire many shops—mostly in other regions—totalling over twenty large and small businesses. This time, Wei Rao would also be given four of them.
Wei Rao’s eyes turned red. "You are giving it all to us, but what about yourself?"
Lady Shou’an smiled. "I’m keeping a few shops, so I don't have to worry about income, and I’ve also saved a sum of silver over the years to support my retirement. It’s enough for me to live comfortably until my life naturally ends. Besides, wouldn't you youngsters be filial to me?"
"I will be filial. My restaurant is profitable, and in the future, I will give you a share of the dividends every year, along with the shops you gave me." Wei Rao hugged her grandmother and wiped her tears onto her grandmother’s shoulder.
Lady Shou’an hugged her granddaughter. After settling the matter of the dowry, she began to worry about Wei Rao’s life in the Duke of Ying’s mansion.
Wei Rao said confidently, "Maternal Grandmother doesn't need to labor over that point. With my wit, how could I let myself be wronged?"
Lady Shou’an scoffed. "Performing a luck-changing ritual is the greatest wrong of all. You, you think you’re smart, but actually, you’re just a fool."
Wei Rao didn't listen and used a spoiled, coquettish tone to brush past the topic.
Lady Shou’an took a small booklet out of her sleeve and shoved it into Wei Rao’s hand. "No matter what, I still hope you can revive Lu Zhuo, and I hope he has the discernment to cherish you. If he truly recovers, you two will have to consummate the marriage sooner or later. Take a look at this before then, so you don't suffer in vain."
Wei Rao had never even thought about consummating the marriage. Lu Zhuo was in a coma, and even if he woke up, he likely wouldn't have the strength to do anything for the time being.
But she was still curious and opened the booklet her grandmother had shoved at her. A casual flip revealed two disheveled people embracing one another. If they had been stark naked, Wei Rao would certainly have stopped looking immediately. It was precisely because they were only partially disheveled—making it impossible to see at a glance what they were doing—that she lowered her head to look carefully. With a "snap," Wei Rao closed the booklet, her face turning crimson, her eyes filled with disdain. "Disgusting to death! Maternal Grandmother, you, you..."
She couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence.
Lady Shou’an was amused by the young girl’s innocence and explained in a hushed tone, "The pictures in the book are prominent because they were deliberately drawn in black ink; in reality, it isn't that ugly..."
Wei Rao covered her ears; she didn't want to know what a man’s that looked like at all.
Lady Shou’an did not force her and laughed, "Fine, fine, fine. Just put it away for now; if you need it in the future, you can look at it then."
As soon as Wei Rao heard this, she wanted to return the booklet to her grandmother.
Lady Shou’an didn't want it and walked away with nimble strides.
Wei Rao felt helpless. Fearing her grandmother might see it, she had no choice but to hide the improper little booklet under her pillow first.
Old Madame Wei entered, and seeing the rare blush of shame on her young granddaughter’s face, she guessed what Lady Shou’an had said.
Old Madame Wei pretended not to know. She sat on the bed and, just like Lady Shou’an, took Wei Rao’s small hands and stuffed a few banknotes into them.
Wei Rao exclaimed in surprise, "Grandmother, haven't you already prepared my dowry?"
She had seen the dowry list; it was no less than that of her cousin, the Princess Consort Duan. The Cheng’an Earl’s Mansion was not wealthy, and the fact that her grandmother had prepared so much for her made Wei Rao’s heart ache, fearing that her grandmother hadn't kept anything for herself.
Old Madame Wei said, "That is what is on the books; it will be the same when your Third Sister marries. This is money your grandmother is giving you privately; none of your three sisters have this. They have fathers and mothers, so it’s not my turn to worry about them. But you are a little pitiful thing; if your grandmother doesn't favor you, who would I favor?"
Wei Rao lowered her head and leaned into her grandmother’s bosom, choking back sobs. "Grandmother is even worse than Maternal Grandmother; you did it on purpose to make me cry."
Old Madame Wei stroked her hair, filled with heartache, reluctance, and worry; she didn't even know where to begin.
To resolve this heavy emotion, Old Madame Wei wiped her eyes, took a small booklet, and shoved it into Wei Rao’s hand. With a wry smile, she said, "Lady Shou’an must have talked to you about consummating the marriage. I just don't know if she prepared anything. Take this..."
"I have it already!" Wei Rao was so embarrassed and annoyed that she forgot to cry and refused to take anything else.
Old Madame Wei scanned the bed and went to feel under the pillow first. Ignoring the blushing Wei Rao, Old Madame Wei flipped through the one Lady Shou’an had given her and found that the booklet Lady Shou’an had prepared had more variety and more exquisite artwork. Old Madame Wei hummed to herself, and after weighing the options, decided to leave Lady Shou’an’s book with Wei Rao.
"It’s getting late; sleep earlier." Old Madame Wei could not delay any longer. Even if it was a luck-changing marriage, her granddaughter had to appear as her most beautiful self tomorrow.
Wei Rao saw off the two elders who cherished her. Returning to her room, she silently tucked the little booklet her maternal grandmother had given her and the banknotes her grandmother had given her into her trunk for her private funds.
Bitao came in to extinguish the lamps and urged her to sleep early before leaving.
Wei Rao lay in bed alone. With the wedding imminent, she inevitably thought of the groom, Lu Zhuo.
Just how sick was that guy? He was so young; would he really just pass away like this?
If Lu Zhuo died, Wei Rao could just live according to the first two conditions of the luck-changing ritual, which would actually save a lot of trouble.
If Lu Zhuo lived, would someone so arrogant and proud be willing to be a real husband to her?
If Lu Zhuo were willing, Wei Rao would cooperate. After all, his appearance, background, and talent were impeccable, and he was born into a military family lineage that forbade taking concubines without reason. Wei Rao felt that she couldn't find a better husband than Lu Zhuo even if she looked elsewhere. If they were to be a real couple, she would gain both substance and face.
If Lu Zhuo were unwilling...
Wei Rao hugged her quilt and let out a cold laugh.
If Lu Zhuo were unwilling, it would mean he looked down on her. If that were truly the case, beyond demanding the dignity she was owed and acting as a loving couple with Lu Zhuo in public, she would never give him a single pleasant look in private. For a man who slighted her—no matter how high his status, how handsome his appearance, or how good his martial skills—Wei Rao would never lower herself to grovel or curry favor.
The night passed without dreams. The next day was the thirteenth of the twelfth lunar month—a good day that the entire capital was waiting to witness.
The Cheng’an Earl’s Mansion was filled with guests. Dressed in her wedding attire and fully adorned, Wei Rao sat in her boudoir, waiting for the Duke of Ying’s household to come for the wedding procession.
The groom, Lu Zhuo, was bedridden and unconscious, so the Duke of Ying’s household sent his youngest cousin, Lu Che, to represent his brother in the procession.
The twelve-year-old Lu Che, with red lips, white teeth, and a face as handsome as jade, sat on his horse, forcing a smile.
The eyes of the onlookers were all fixed on Lu Che’s arms.
There, held in his embrace, was a large rooster with a golden crown, red feathers, and a black tail. Its feathers were oily and bright, its spirit was high, and its eyes were slightly narrowed, actually possessing quite a bit of the noble aura of a superior person looking down upon the world.
This large rooster was the "groom" who truly symbolized the Duke of Ying’s heir, Lu Zhuo.