White Fence Dream

Chapter 269 Wedding
Although he refused to adopt the maid as his adopted daughter, the maid was married off in the living room of the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang.

The courtyard of the wife of Marquis Dongyang was crowded with people. In addition to the women of Marquis Dongyang's mansion, there were actually twenty or thirty other women who came. They were all family members of the King of Chu's "friends".

We can't let that maid lose face.

She also wanted to have the same wedding-sending ceremony as other brides.

This is also the face of the King of Chu.

So a group of frequent visitors to the Hualou boat came and clamored for their wives, sisters-in-law, and even their family elders to come.

Of course, the reason why so many people came in the end was not only because some families doted on their children and grandchildren, but also because some families had more ideas. Although the wife married by the King of Chu was of disgraceful status and Princess Jin Yu was furious, it was the emperor who agreed after all, and for the emperor's face, they should come.

Mrs. Xue found it somewhat amusing to see the bride pretending to know someone she clearly did not know. But when she found the wife of Marquis Dongyang in the back room, she became angry.

"You, the mistress, are hiding."

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang lay in a rocking chair and said lazily: "She is not my daughter, and I don't need to take care of her. It is better for me to give her the place."

Mrs. Xue sat down. Even though she was in the back room, she could still hear the noise in the front.

Children were running back and forth, shouting, "The bride's party is coming!"

Then, some unknown woman took the lead and shouted, "Hurry up and block the door." "This is a rare opportunity to embarrass the King of Chu and teach those bastards a lesson."

These words made many girls excited, and they rushed out laughing.

Soon, the sound of drums and men's shouting came from the other side of the gate, and then the sound of chanting began.

Madam Xue pricked up her ears and listened: "These playboys can actually recite poems and write couplets? Where did the King of Chu invite them from?"

It's good this way, there's no dullness, no rudeness, and it makes the outside more lively.

Madam Xue sighed again: "The King of Chu is really thoughtful. It seems that he really loves this wife deeply."

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang snorted, took the fan to cover her face, and looked like she was going to sleep.

Madam Xue would not let her sleep: "Since you have accepted this job, you have to pretend to be nice even for Jingyun!"

After saying this, he pulled the wife of Marquis Dongyang out to see the bride.

The bride, who had finished dressing up, was already sitting in the hall. The female relatives who had originally gathered had all gone to the door to watch the fun. Only two or three old ladies were still there.

Since there was nothing to say, the room seemed a little quiet.

"I'm here to see the bride--" Mrs. Xue said with a smile as she walked in.

The bride also looked up, and Mrs. Xue paused.

The bride's outfit is also common, with a head full of jewels, bright red and green, and heavy makeup. People who knew her before can become strangers, but at this moment this stranger seems inexplicably familiar. This feeling is so sudden that I even forget the auspicious words I wanted to say for a moment.

It was the bride who nodded and smiled, then asked, "Hello, Mrs. Xue."

Mrs. Xue responded by saying a few dry auspicious words.

"Madam, are you from Beijing?" she couldn't help but ask.

Before the bride could answer, the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang coughed and said, "Why are you asking me this? Also, you should call me Princess Chu."

Yes, being born as a maid, either she was sold because of poverty or she was convicted and demoted to slavery, all of which were sad stories. Why talk about this? Madam Xue was also a little embarrassed and didn't know why she asked this question!
"My princess is well," she added hastily.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

The maid Chunyue came in hurriedly.

"We've entered the gate," she said. "We'll be there after passing another gate."

The palace lady standing by reminded her: "Princess, please put on your face covering."

Bai Li said yes, then thought of something and asked Chun Yue: "Have you packed my belongings? Don't take them with the dowry, or it will be hard to find them when you need them."

Chunyue responded, "I'll go and get it myself." Then she was about to go out again.

"Check to see if the book I haven't finished reading is put in." Bai Li reminded again.

Chunyue responded and walked out quickly.

Mrs. Xue looked at this scene and couldn't help but whispered to Mrs. Dongyang Hou: "Chunyue is very familiar with her..."

Not only was she familiar with Chunyue, the more she looked at him, the more familiar he felt. She could even name some of his names...

There was a noise coming from outside the door, mixed with chanting, laughter, and the sound of footsteps.

"Mother!" Zhou Jiuniang held up two purses, her face flushed, "I got two!"

The next moment, accompanied by thunderous applause of “Good dance, good dance”, Zhou Jiuniang’s eyes lit up.

"The King of Chu and his men are going to perform the marriage-urging dance!" she shouted, turning around and running out with her purse in hand.

Hearing this, the two old ladies who had been sitting still also smiled.

"Whose idea was this? Let's go and see. It's been years since we've seen a man dance to urge someone to get married."

As they were talking, there was indeed singing outside the courtyard gate, mixed with the sound of orderly footsteps. At first it was the men who sang, then the children joined in, and finally the women who came to watch the fun also sang along. Sitting in the room, I felt my heart fluttering for a moment.

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang was stunned for a moment, and cursed in a low voice, "Zhou Jingyun is a waste!"

Mrs. Xue was lost in thought. She glared at her when she heard this: "Why are you talking to her?" She must be envious of others getting married. "Don't force him. Everyone has their own destiny."

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang sneered: "Even if there was a destiny, he wouldn't have held a wedding like this! Even a fake one can't compare to others!"

Mrs. Xue was confused. What was there and what was not? What was fake? But before she could ask, the gate was opened, and a group of dandy ladies, dancing and clamoring, escorted the King of Chu, who was wearing wedding clothes, in. In the dusk, the young bridegroom danced, as graceful as a startled swan and as elegant as a swimming dragon. As the dance ended, he stood in front of the door.

Li Yu looked at the bride in her gorgeous dress sitting in the main hall and bowed deeply with a smile.

Mrs. Xue and the other women in the room stood up.

The bride, who was sitting in the main hall with her face covered, was helped up by the palace ladies and exchanged greetings with Li Yu.

Because there was no parents to say goodbye, Li Yu took the colorful silk held by the bride and walked out under the gaze of the crowd.

The moment she stepped out of the door, the bride seemed to look back at the wife of Marquis Dongyang unconsciously, but was then blocked from view by the female onlookers and walked out.

But when Mrs. Dongyang saw this, she couldn't help but step forward. "What are you going to do?" Mrs. Xue hurriedly pulled her aside and asked in a low voice.

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang moved her lips and said, "I'm going to have some wine!"

Because it was a rented residence, the Dongyang Marquis's Mansion did not hold a banquet, and the female relatives who came to escort the bride went to the Chu Prince's Mansion for the banquet.

Of course, the women from the Dongyang Marquis’s Mansion can also go.

But why would the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang, with her status, join in the fun?

As the bride and groom left, everyone in the mansion also rushed out, and the courtyard became quiet. Madam Xue wanted to teach Madam Dongyang a lesson, but she saw Xue Silang wandering around the courtyard with his servant.

"Why haven't you left yet!" Madam Xue shouted, "I specifically allowed you to go out today so that you can attend the King of Chu's wedding. If you dare to go somewhere else and make trouble, your uncle will break your legs!"

Xue Silang waved his hands: "Aunt, I didn't wander around, and I don't plan to go to the Prince of Chu's mansion." At this point, he sighed, "The Prince of Chu has a lot of people, and he married his ideal woman, he is in high spirits, and everything he wants has come true. It's a pity that the prince is at home, hurt and lonely, and his love is gone..."

The more Mrs. Xue listened, the more ridiculous it seemed to her, and then she understood what he meant.

The King of Chu got married, but the rumors about him and Zhou Jingyun not only did not dissipate, but spread even more, and the story was even more dramatic and heart-wrenching than the first one. The King of Chu became heartless due to his affection, and Zhou Jingyun expressed his feelings with hurt feelings. In the end, he was left helpless and could only watch the person he loved marry, feeling sad...

There are even people in Sanqufang who sing and dance based on this story.

It’s simply unsightly!
Xue Silang was still mumbling, "...I am here to accompany the prince. Alas, I am here to persuade him that there are many better women in the world, why should he only love the King of Chu..."

Mrs. Xue was so angry that she interrupted him.

"Drag him home!"

Xue Silang cried out that he was innocent. Madam Xue was now the head of the household and her word was law, so the servants immediately gagged Xue Silang and took him away.

But whether it was because of the sudden quiet atmosphere or because Xue Silang's nonsense had confused her mind, Madam Xue couldn't help but look at Madam Dongyang Hou and said, "Go check on Jingyun. He's been busy for half a day and it's been a mess. Is there anyone watching over him?"

Mrs. Dongyang Hou shook her off and said, "You can go and see for yourself if you want. I'm going to the banquet at the Prince of Chu's mansion."

After saying this, he really went out.

Mrs. Xue was both angry and amused. She could only ignore her and go to Zhou Jingyun's yard.

Zhou Jingyun's courtyard became even quieter. All the servants in the mansion had gone to watch the wedding. Two maids were sitting in front of the door, looking melancholy, with red eyes, and talking in a low voice.

"Aunt Mei was afraid of being driven out every day, but she didn't expect Chunyue to be driven out first."

"Don't say that. It was the prince who gave Chunyue to...Princess Chu."

"Sister Chunyue must be so sad, and we didn't even have the chance to see her off."

"I saw she seemed very happy just now..."

"What? Haruzuki is the best at covering up."

Chunhong raised her hand to wipe her tears and heard a questioning voice in her ears.

"What's wrong? Is Jingyun okay?"

The two were startled and stood up quickly, seeing Madam Xue approaching.

"Chunhong, why are you crying?" Mrs. Xue stared at her and asked nervously.

Chunhong stammered, "I didn't cry. I was just watching the excitement outside the door and the firecracker dust blinded my eyes."

Madam Xue did not question the maid's cover-up and walked straight inside.

"Madam, madam." Chunhong hurriedly stopped her.

Madam Xue frowned: "What? Don't hide Jingyun's affairs from me!"

Chunxiang said, "It's not that we are stopping Madam, it's that the prince is not at home."

Mrs. Xue was stunned. Not at home?
Zhou Jingyun was injured...Okay, he was able to get out of bed and walk, but where else could he go if he wasn't at home at this time?

Could it be that he was also going to the Prince Chu's mansion to drink?
……

……

The streets were packed with people, and as the groom appeared on his majestic horse, the noise reached the sky.

"We were stopped again." Jiang Yun stood at the window and looked down. "This is the third time."

Although he chose the place where the wedding procession must pass, Zhou Jingyun did not look at the street, but lay down in the tea room and drank tea.

"It should be that group of playboys who are just trying to make things fun for the King of Chu. They won't really make things difficult for him," he said.

Sure enough, as soon as the words fell, accompanied by a loud voice of "The King of Chu and the Princess invite everyone to drink." A basket of loose coins was sprinkled, and the blocked car on the road was moved away. Men, women, old and young, holding the money, shouted blessings such as "Husband and wife are of one mind, and live together until old age", and surrounded the wedding carriage and moved forward.

Zhou Jingyun picked up his tea and took a sip, looking at the twilight outside the window. He didn't know whether it was because of the dim twilight or because he was exhausted after recovering from his injury, but his vision gradually became blurred, and the noise in his ears seemed to be separated by a layer of gauze.

"Zhou Jingyun, why are you sleeping here?" A female voice came through the mist.

Zhou Jingyun was startled and his eyes fell on the window. In his dim vision, Jiang Yun could no longer be seen. Bai Li was sitting by the window.

She was wearing her wedding dress and reaching out to touch the concentric crown on her head.

"It's so heavy." She muttered, then smiled at Zhou Jingyun, "It was better for us to keep it simple back then. We only wore two hairpins, and it wasn't tiring at all."

Dreaming? Zhou Jingyun hesitated.

Was he dreaming or was she using an illusion?
Zhou Jingyun sat up straight and said solemnly: "Bai Li, you can't use illusions. Your body has just recovered!"

With so many people and such a large scene, how much energy would it take to use illusion!

"Do you want me to wake you up again? Didn't you say you didn't want me to get hurt again?"

Bai Li looked at him and smiled: "I didn't use any magic, I was just sleepy and fell asleep in the car."

Fell asleep?
So she was dreaming?

She who was dreaming came into his dream?

"How can you fall asleep when you're getting married?" Zhou Jingyun said helplessly, "I asked you if you wanted to study last night, but you didn't say yes. I guess you didn't sleep well."

(End of this chapter)