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Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 151

Chapter 151 - Consort De's Command

Soon, the auspicious hour arrived.


The welcoming procession of the Prince Anjing's Manor arrived.


Supported by the matrimonial matchmaker, Xie Ping walked out of her boudoir in a daze, made her way to the entrance of the Xie residence, and was helped into the bridal sedan chair.


Once inside the bridal sedan chair, she lifted the red veil and looked back at the Xie residence through the gap in the carriage curtains. She saw her grandfather and grandmother, her father and mother, Xie Shi'an, along with the Xie family's concubine-mothers and other younger brothers and younger sisters... Ever since she acknowledged her ancestry and returned to the Xie family, merely four years had passed. She had long since regarded this place as her true home, yet she never expected to leave it so soon.


There was a sense of melancholy and reluctance in her heart, but even more of a yearning for her future life.


The bridal sedan chair was hoisted up, moving farther and farther away from the Xie residence.


Xie Ping thought the sedan chair would be carried directly to the Prince's Manor, but unexpectedly, after turning a corner on the street, it actually stopped right at the entrance of the Shi residence.


Prince Anjing personally stepped through the gates of the Shi family and led Lady Shi, the secondary consort, out to another bridal sedan chair.


The two bridal sedan chairs, one right after the other, passed through the bustling streets, prompting many commoners to chatter and discuss the spectacle.


"Prince Anjing is truly blessed, marrying two women in a single day. Come on, let's place a bet—who do you think Prince Anjing will share the bridal chamber with tonight?"


"It has to be the eldest young lady of the Xie family, obviously. She is the primary consort, so naturally, the wedding night will be spent with the primary consort."


"Incorrect, completely incorrect! The Shi family's social standing is much higher than the Xie family's, and Prince Anjing will need to rely on the Shi family's influence in the future. He will definitely give the Shi family plenty of face."


"Don't you find it laughable? Prince Anjing marries two women in one day, yet the dowry brought up at the rear isn't even as much as that of the Crown Princess or the Princess of Gongxi, not even a tenth of it."


The commoners on the street looked over, and indeed, wasn't it so? One primary consort and one secondary consort, yet the combined dowry of both women didn't even reach thirty-two carried chests.


Moreover, upon closer inspection, they were all household goods for beds and rooms; nothing truly valuable seemed to be included.


"The Xie family is of humble scholarly origins, so it's understandable they can't cough up a dowry, but how could the Shi family also..."


"Don't you know? The current matriarch of the Shi family was married later as a stepmother, and this eldest young lady of the Shi family is a stepdaughter. Which stepmother would ever prepare a generous dowry for a stepdaughter?"


"Prince Anjing is an imperial prince, after all. When the Emperor conferred his title, countless gold and silver treasures were bestowed upon him. Why would he care about a wife's dowry?"


"With Prince Anjing's noble status, he still chose to marry the daughter of a mere fifth-rank official, which shows that Prince Anjing truly loves the eldest Xie young lady from the bottom of his heart. He is a man of strong character and responsibility."


"..."


Sitting inside the bridal sedan chair, Xie Ping let out a breath of relief.


She had no dowry, and neither did Secondary Consort Shi, so she wouldn't have to feel a cut below Secondary Consort Shi.


After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the bridal sedan chair stopped. The chair curtains were lifted, and the matchmaker helped her step out of the sedan, cross the threshold, and walk into Prince Anjing's Manor.


In a daze, she participated in the wedding ceremony, her ears filled with all sorts of auspicious blessings, before being escorted into the bridal chamber.


She sat inside the festively adorned bridal chamber for who knows how long. The bustling noises in the distance gradually faded away, the night grew heavier and heavier, and the maidservant by her side yawned one after another until even she herself could no longer sit still.


She lifted the red bridal veil: "Go and see if the Prince is still drinking in the front courtyard."


The maidservant nodded and went, returning after a little less than an hour: "Young Lady, the Prince has..."


Xie Ping interrupted her coldly: "What young Lady? I am the Princess now."


"Yes, Princess," the maidservant stammered. "This servant asked around, and the senior matronly servants in the manor said the Prince has gone to Secondary Consort Shi's quarters."


Xie Ping yanked off the red veil, her complexion turning ashen to the extreme.


She was a dignified primary consort, yet instead of coming to complete the proper wedding rites with her, the Prince went to the secondary consort first. This was stepping all over her dignity and grinding it into the dirt.


Yet she also knew that since she was married off before coming of age, to avoid giving people grounds for gossip, the Prince certainly would not come to her on their wedding night.


She took several deep breaths to force down the surging anger in her heart, then had the maidservant attend to her washing up before she went to sleep.


The next morning, before dawn had even broken, the senior matrons of the manor came to wake her up. She had to go to the palace that morning to pay her respects to the Empress and Consort De.


Xie Ping hadn't slept well all night, and her complexion was atrocious. She had to apply a thick layer of powder to cover the haggard dark circles under her eyes before following the matrons to the front courtyard, where her husband, Prince Anjing, was practicing his swordsmanship.


This was the first time Xie Ping had ever seen Prince Anjing wield a sword, and for a moment, she was utterly mesmerized.


When Prince Anjing finished, she hurriedly grabbed the handkerchief from the maidservant's hand, stepped forward, and offered to wipe the sweat from Prince Anjing's brow: "Your Highness, you've worked hard."


Prince Anjing glanced at her, took a step back, and coldly evaded her touch.


Then, he strode past her toward someone behind her. She turned her head and saw Secondary Consort Shi approaching.


Prince Anjing walked over to Secondary Consort Shi's side, the two of them standing opposite each other. They looked just like a match made in heaven, while she, the legitimate primary consort, appeared rather ridiculous by comparison.


She spoke up: "Your Highness, the hour is late. It is time to enter the palace."


Prince Anjing nodded: "Secondary Consort Shi will accompany us."


Xie Ping's fingers froze, but she forced a smile and said, "For a secondary consort to enter the palace, I fear it might not be entirely proper according to etiquette..."


"This is an order from my imperial mother," Prince Anjing shot her a sidelong glance. "What is it? Does the Princess have an objection?"


Xie Ping's smile froze as well.


Consort De loathed her to the core and was deliberately summoning a secondary consort on the very first day of their marriage.


After today, everyone would know that she, the eldest young lady of the Xie family, commanded no respect from her husband and no affection from her mother-in-law. She would lose both her inner substance and her outer face entirely.


Prince Anjing let out a cold snort and strode forward.


He truly regretted it to the extreme—regretted not resisting temptation that day and engaging in such scandalous deeds with this woman at Qing'an Temple...


As a dignified imperial prince, he had been forced to marry a fifth-rank concubine-born daughter as his primary consort, making him the biggest laughingstock in the entire capital.


Why on earth should he give this woman any face? Why should he grant her the honor due to a primary consort? Even if he didn't particularly care for Secondary Consort Shi, he would put on a display of deep affection just to rub salt in her wounds...


"Princess," Secondary Consort Shi walked over to Xie Ping's side and said softly, "Consort De had some old friendship with this maid's late mother, which is why she summoned me."


She was afraid the Princess and the Prince would grow alienated from each other, so she specifically came over to offer an explanation.


Yet she only heard Xie Ping sneer coldly: "Is Secondary Consort Shi here to flaunt the close friendship between your late mother and Consort De, hoping to trample over me, the primary consort?"


"No, of course not!" Secondary Consort Shi quickly said, "This maid only meant..."


"Enough, say no more."


Xie Ping curled her lips impatiently, turned around, and followed in Prince Anjing's footsteps.


Secondary Consort Shi bit her lip tightly and slowly followed the two of them as the carriage headed toward the imperial palace.


When they reached the palace gates and walked alongside the eunuch to the Empress's residence, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the sky was just beginning to brighten.


The three of them paid their respects to the Empress. The Empress bestowed a jade ruyi scepter upon Xie Ping and a jade bracelet upon Secondary Consort Shi.


Xie Ping expressed her gratitude with a completely sincere face, finally showing the first smile since her wedding.


However, when they reached Consort De's quarters, she couldn't smile anymore. Consort De merely tossed her a single golden hairpin, while turning around to reward Secondary Consort Shi with several bolts of brocade and a top-tier set of hair ornaments.


Consort De didn't even spare Xie Ping a glance, instead pulling Secondary Consort Shi's hand as she said, "Your mother and I were bosom friends. The year I entered the palace to serve the Emperor, your mother married your father. Who could have imagined that your mother would pass away at such a tender age... Alas, it's just that making you a secondary consort truly wrongs you..."


"This maid is not wronged," Secondary Consort Shi hurriedly said. "The Princess and this maid are like sisters. Being able to serve the Prince alongside the Princess is this maid's great fortune."


She deliberately brought up the Princess in hopes that Consort De would speak a few more kind words to her.


Yet these words sounded exceptionally grating to Xie Ping's ears.

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