Union

Chapter 206, page 205 (End of main text)

The provincial examination in Jinzhou was promptly halted.

The excuse was that the frequent rain and snow last year caused significant damage to the examination hall, and it would take one to two months of repairs before it could be put back into use.

There was a lot of criticism from the public, especially from some students who had strong opinions about the matter.

But despite all the insults and mockery, the government remained silent, and the matter was left unresolved.

Yunying has been following up on this matter.

Because the matter was far-reaching—Jiao Niang didn't steal the exam papers to bring down Chen Yanzhou; she had harbored this wicked idea to make money ever since she became the educational official's concubine. Thus, this case of cheating in the imperial examinations began.

Cheating in the imperial examinations has always been a serious crime. As early as the previous dynasty, some officials were sentenced to death or had their entire families exterminated for being involved in such cases.

The storm in Jinzhou's officialdom is quite significant.

After a two-month thorough investigation, all those involved in the examination fraud were sentenced to immediate execution. Whether they were buyers, sellers, or involved in the transportation process, anyone with sufficient evidence to prove their knowledge of the fraud would face dire consequences.

When the Jinzhou education commissioner was being escorted to the execution ground, he kept insisting that he was innocent.

He was indeed wronged, after all, he was a fairly honest person, and he had always been conscientious and diligent in his post, never making a mistake. But if he hadn't been lustful and neglected to discipline his wife, how could he have caused such a disaster?
The real victims are the prefect of Jinzhou and some other officials.

Because of his oversight, the prefect of Jinzhou was dismissed from his post. He was already in his sixties and had planned to retire in the next couple of years. Who would have thought that on the verge of retirement, he would end up like this, losing all his lifelong reputation for integrity?

Several other officials were also implicated, either demoted or transferred, resulting in a huge vacancy in the Jinzhou officialdom.

Chen Yanzhou was not implicated. On the contrary, because he handled the case and Jinzhou was now leaderless, Chen Yanzhou became the real person in charge of Jinzhou.

The imperial court naturally dispatched new officials afterward, but Chen Yanzhou already had a great reputation and prestige in Jinzhou. Even the new prefect showed him more respect when he took office.

Now let's talk about Jiao Niang.

The beautiful woman was beheaded immediately.

During her imprisonment, she endured numerous forms of torture.

She kept the secret of the stolen silver tightly, refusing to divulge a single word. But the sum was already enormous, and combined with what she had earned from selling exam papers over the years, the assets now hidden by Jiao Niang were a truly massive amount. A careful calculation of that figure would make even the wealthiest merchants envious.

The young woman finally succumbed to the inhuman torture and revealed the location where the silver was hidden.

When the government unearthed those accounts, the sheer amount was staggering.

The money brought from Yungui County alone amounted to seven or eight hundred thousand taels—if Jiao Niang lived off this much silver, she would be living a very carefree life.

But she was by nature not a content woman, and she was extremely obsessed with money. Coupled with her inherent tendency to manipulate others, these factors led her to take another risk, ultimately resulting in a disastrous downfall...

……

Time flies and it is May.

Last night's heavy rain knocked the blooming pomegranate flowers to the ground.

The courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers and withered branches and leaves, but as soon as it was light, the mess was cleaned up.

As dawn broke, the Duke of Xuan's mansion came alive with activity.

On this day, Gu Wangchen returned from the Northwest, and Gu Yuanxi and Gu Yuanming rode their horses to the outskirts of the capital to pick him up.

Yunying was dressing in front of the mirror, wondering if she had met her father and two brothers, while listening to the maids' chatter.

The maids said the dowry has been packed, and the young master's wife will check it again today. If there are no problems, it will be sent to the Rongguo Duke's Mansion the day after tomorrow.

Yes, Yunying and Chen Yanzhou are getting married soon.

Despite numerous difficulties, Chen Yanzhou finally returned to the capital the day before yesterday.

He sent a private letter requesting to see Yunying before the wedding. He also tempted Yunying, saying that he had more details about the examination cheating case and wanted to tell her.

As a result, Yunying rejected him without hesitation.

She developed pre-wedding jitters as she prepared to get married.

Every day, the thought of soon becoming a wife made her anxious and restless, and she couldn't sleep at night, tossing and turning.

She also wanted to marry Chen Yanzhou; she liked him very much and longed to grow old with him. But, marriage... just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

She didn't know what she was afraid of.

……

While Yunying was filled with anxiety and uncertainty, Gu Wangchen returned to the manor.

When father and daughter met, Gu Wangchen felt both joy and sorrow.

The joy was that his daughter had found a good husband and would soon be getting married; the sorrow was that his daughter had only been with him for a short time, and the father and daughter had spent less than three months together in real time.

No matter how reluctant the people of the Duke of Xuanguo's mansion were, the day before Yunying's wedding finally arrived.

On this day, the grand dowry was carried from the Duke of Xuan's mansion to the Duke of Rong's mansion.

The two mansions were neither too far nor too close, only three streets apart at most.

The first dowry item left the Duke of Xuan's mansion and entered the Duke of Rong's mansion, while nearly two-thirds of the remaining dowry items had not yet been carried out of the mansion.

The onlookers already knew that the Duke's family would be holding a grand wedding for their daughter, but the sheer scale of the event still drew a lot of shouts and commotion.

In fact, Yunying's dowry did not exceed Zhang Luxi's.

When Zhang Luxi married Chen Yanqing, her dowry amounted to 165 taels of silver, enough to circle half of the capital.

However, Zhang Luxi is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Rongguo Duke's mansion, so the amount of her dowry is not a problem. As for Yunying, she is marrying Chen Yanqing, the second son of the Rongguo Duke's mansion. If her dowry exceeds that of her elder sister-in-law, it would break the rules.

The Duke of Xuanguo's mansion would not embarrass itself like that, so it reduced Yunying's dowry to 160 loads.

Although there were 160 boxes, each one was packed full. Just by looking at the servants carrying the boxes, whose steps weren't particularly leisurely, you could tell that the boxes were crammed with things.

The people of the capital were buzzing with excitement: "This young lady's dowry is the best among all the dowries given to girls who have married in the last ten years."

"Who told her to be stranded at a young age and suffer so much? Her family feels guilty, so it's only right that they give her more financial support."

"It's not just her family who's helping out; the betrothal gifts from the Rongguo Duke's mansion are also quite substantial. Besides, I've heard that this young lady also runs several estates and has quite a knack for making money?"

"Oh my god, look at those land deeds! There are thousands of acres of land deeds alone."

"Look at that red coral ornament. Wasn't it bestowed upon the Duke of Xuan's mansion the year His Majesty ascended the throne?"

……

The crowd of onlookers grew louder and louder, cheering, jumping for joy, screaming, and shouting, as if they were even more excited than the two families who were about to become in-laws.

Amidst this commotion, the entire dowry was carried into the Rongguo Duke's mansion.

It just so happens that today is a day off, and almost all the members of the Rongguo Duke's family have come over.

After the dowry was brought to the mansion, it was customary to air it out.

When the members of the Rongguo Mansion saw the dowry tables overflowing with gifts, they felt as sour as if they had eaten lemons, but they still had to try to put on a happy expression.

They initially looked down on this girl from the Duke of Xuan's family, whom they had taken in halfway through their lives.

They felt that since the girl had previously been Yan Zhou's concubine, her reputation was tarnished, and given the filthy place she was raised in, even marrying into an ordinary family as a principal wife would be considered a great honor. For her to marry into their Rongguo Duke's mansion, especially to the young and promising Yan Zhou, was to disgrace him.

However, the Duke of Xuan's mansion valued this girl highly, and Yan Zhou was as if he had been bewitched, determined to marry no one but her; even the Duke of Rong and his wife were bewitched, thinking it was a good match.

These clansmen had often whispered rumors about him behind his back, but Chen Jingxuan pretended not to understand their words. Occasionally, when they got annoyed by his persistent chatter, he would put on a fierce and menacing look, which would immediately silence them.

It's fair to say that even before coming to the Duke's mansion today, they still harbored a thousand objections to this marriage.

But looking at the overflowing dowry before her, a fortune enough to bless three generations of her descendants, she suddenly felt that this marriage wasn't so unacceptable after all.

Men think this way, and women think the same way.
Just thinking about how pitifully small their dowries were when they got married, compared to all the pearls, brocades, antiques and ancient books in front of me, makes me feel uneasy.

They weren't going to deal with this awkwardness on their own, nor were they going to go back to their parents' home to complain. They exchanged glances and walked towards Zhang Luxi.

Several aunties and older women huddled together in front of Zhang Luxi and whispered among themselves.

“This young lady from the Duke of Xuan’s mansion is no ordinary woman. The Duke of Xuan’s mansion brought such a large dowry, clearly intending to outdo you, her sister-in-law.”

Zhang Luxi glanced at the newcomer silently, his face expressionless, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Some people felt uneasy under Zhang Luxi's gaze, while others didn't care and just kept urging him on. "My dear niece-in-law, if you ask me, you'd better keep this sister-in-law in check from now on. Otherwise, if she really rises up and joins forces with your mother-in-law, won't this Duke's mansion fall into Yan Zhou's hands sooner or later? That won't do; Yan Qing is the heir of the mansion."

Zhang Luxi didn't want to hear those two sentences anymore.

She stared directly at her aunt who was speaking and said bluntly, "I'm a junior, and I don't understand what you're saying. How about this, I'll call my parents over, and we'll talk to them about it. What do you think?"

The old woman turned pale with fright and kept saying, "I was just talking nonsense, niece-in-law, don't take it to heart," before disappearing in a flash.

The old woman beside Zhang Luxi came closer and whispered, "Miss."

Zhang Luxi smiled and said, "Why are you joining in the fun too? Don't worry, Granny. My sister-in-law isn't that kind of person, and my parents wouldn't do something so foolish."

"That's good, that's good."

Zhang Luxi walked up to Xiao Fengshi and helped his mother-in-law put away all the dowry items. He also arranged for someone to keep a close watch on the items so that there would be no mishap.

There was a reason why Zhang Luxi was chosen to be the wife of the heir of the Rongguo Duke's mansion. She was beautiful inside and out, intelligent and quick-witted, dignified and virtuous, and also had her own opinions and principles.

Most people would have lost interest and developed resentment towards their future siblings after being egged on by their aunts, but Zhang Luxi did not.

Because she saw better than anyone else that her second brother's future was not limited to the Duke's mansion.

Ever since my second brother took office as the prefect of Jinzhou, my father-in-law has been paving the way for him. That path leads directly to the cabinet, and my father-in-law hopes that my second brother will become the next Grand Secretary.

Although the Duke's mansion has a prestigious reputation, it is still far inferior to the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

If a Grand Secretary were to emerge from the family, the Rongguo Duke's Mansion would be a completely different story.

If the plan goes smoothly, they will still need to rely on their second brother in many areas.

……

The night before the wedding, the Rongguo Duke's mansion was still bustling with activity.

Chen Yanzhou came out of his mother's room and walked towards the front yard.

Bright red lanterns can be seen everywhere along the way, red silk ribbons are wrapped around the pillars, trees are adorned with gold and colorful decorations, and some are decorated with silk flowers.

Today, the Rongguo Duke's mansion is more grand and festive than he can remember.

Chen Yanzhou was walking forward when he suddenly stopped beside a rose bush.

Beside the rose bushes is a brand-new courtyard, with the words "Jiyuexuan" hanging above the gate.

This is his yard.

It was moved to the rebuilt courtyard.

The plaque above the door used to read "Wanxiang Hall," but it disappeared from the Rongguo Mansion along with its owner.

With the completion of the new courtyard, the plaque that had hung there when Chen Yanzhou was a child was re-hung on the lintel.

The characters on the plaque had been rewritten by Chen Yanzhou, painted with colorful gold, and shone brightly under the glow of the red lanterns.

Jiyuexuan will welcome its new mistress tomorrow.

Chen Yanzhou walked all over the mansion that night, but still couldn't fall asleep.

Finally, he was seen by the Duke of Rongguo when he returned home late. The Duke of Rongguo ridiculed him and said that if he went to pick up the bride tomorrow looking like he hadn't slept enough, he didn't know if the Duke of Xuanguo's mansion would change its mind.

The words were harsh, but Chen Yanzhou took them to heart.

Tomorrow is the day he and Yunying will get married. If he goes to marry her looking disheveled, she will probably be disappointed.

With this in mind, Chen Yanzhou finally went back to his room to rest.

……

Chen Yanzhou wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep that night because they were getting married.

Yunying, having seen her grandmother and sister-in-law off, was now in high spirits.

Her cheeks were flushed as she held the book in her hands, her eyes sparkling, and her hands unconsciously stroked the title page.

Grandmother and sister-in-law gave vague answers, neither of them explaining the matter clearly. In the end, they simply handed her the booklet and told her to read it when she had time.

It's okay if you don't watch it; just listen to your son-in-law when the time comes.

However, the young master is young and inevitably indulgent. If she really can't stand it, she should stop him in time and not spoil him.

Yunying: "..."

Yunying realized that this was premarital education.

But have Grandmother and Sister-in-law forgotten that she didn't need them to teach her these things on short notice? She had learned them systematically before. Sigh.

At the estate of the Marquis of Chang'an, there are specially appointed "pleasure matrons" who teach the young ladies how to engage in sexual intercourse. Their techniques are incredibly varied and unpredictable, including how to make the man ejaculate beforehand without harming herself, and how to achieve maximum pleasure during the act. The matrons teach in great detail.

Those classes even included teaching aids.

In addition, the nannies spoke boldly and directly, which made all the young girls blush so much that their faces blushed to the point of bleeding.

Yunying did attend these classes diligently, since they were subject to assessment, and if she failed, she would have to repeat the lessons.

But all those years of learning hadn't come in handy. She almost thought she'd forgotten them all. But upon careful recollection, every word her old nanny had spoken came flooding back into her mind.

Thinking back to their previous meetings in Jinzhou, Chen Yanzhou would always lose control while kissing her, sometimes poking her painfully even through a layer of clothing.

Therefore, it's really necessary for her to review her old nanny's teachings tonight to avoid suffering tomorrow.

……

The rooster crows at midnight.

Everyone in the Duke of Xuan's mansion began to stand up.

Yunying was also pulled out of bed by the nanny.

Overwhelmed with sleepiness, Yunying was so sleepy that she couldn't even open her eyes.

Last night, she recalled her nanny's teachings, which made her feel agitated. Just thinking about what might happen today—no, it was definitely going to happen—made her feel numb and itchy all over. Even though she kept sending sleep signals to her brain, it was no use.

Oh, by the way, she's getting married today.

Yunying finally opened her almond-shaped eyes and looked into the room.

The eldest sister-in-law, Yang Lingjia, was already there, and was currently directing the maids in the room.

Seeing that Yunying had finally regained consciousness, she quickly said, "Quickly take He'er to take a bath."

Yunying was stuffed into the bathtub.

The day seemed to pass both slowly and quickly.

Smiling faces appeared before Yunying.

Her relatives came to congratulate her, and her aunt and cousins ​​also came all the way from Jinzhou to see her off. In addition, there was the invited Lady Quanfu, as well as a group of people who were on good terms with the Duke of Xuan's family. The room was noisy, and everyone kept saying congratulatory words to Yunying.

But the nightingales couldn't remember any of these things very clearly.

What she remembered most clearly was her father's forced smile and her older brothers' slightly reddened eyes.

Her grandmother sat beside her the whole time, stroking her hair and holding her hand, her reluctance to part evident in her expression.

Yunying knew that her family couldn't bear to part with her, and how could she bear to part with her family who loved her so much?

Fortunately, she was only married off, not sold off. As long as she was willing, she thought Chen Yanzhou wouldn't object even if she came back to visit her grandparents for two months every year.

As for the gossip of others, let them talk.

After a day of agonizing waiting, the sun finally slowly set.

As dusk settled, the sound of gongs and drums finally broke the silence outside.

"The groom is here to pick up the bride!"

With that shout, the veil was placed over Yunying's hair. Her vision was completely red, and she could see nothing else.

Red ribbons fluttered in the sky, drums and music resounded, guests filled the air with laughter and joy...

The nightingale seemed drunk, or perhaps her soul had left her body, and flew into the air to witness this scene firsthand.

She was nervous and dazed until a pair of men's court boots appeared under her veil, and a hoarse, deep voice rang in her ears.

"Yingying, I've come to take you home."

The sedan chair carried by eight men was as steady as if it were flat ground, and the cheers of the surrounding people were deafening.

Yunying, however, was in a state of utter confusion, and kept trying to regulate her breathing inside the sedan chair.

She was so nervous that her hands were covered in a layer of cold sweat, and she almost crumpled the handkerchief in her hands.

Finally, the carriage stopped, and someone shot down the curtain.

Then, the man walked up to her and personally helped her down from the sedan chair. Amidst the cheers and jeers of the crowd, he led her across the brazier and step by step toward the main hall where the wedding ceremony would take place.

"Slow down, don't be afraid, I'll hold your hand and won't let you fall."

Chen Yanzhou's reassurance had some effect, and Yunying's heartbeat gradually calmed down.

The Rongguo Duke's mansion was very large; it would take at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to walk from the front gate to the main hall for the wedding ceremony. But today, Yunying felt that the walk was very, very short.

The noise outside gradually grew louder, and someone shouted, "The new bride is here!"

"Come and share in the joy! Today is the day the newlyweds enter the house; may everything go well for them."

"Yan Zhou's smile never faded; it seems he really married the right person this time."

They went through the wedding ceremony in a daze, and were then led to the bridal chamber in a daze.

When she sat down on the edge of the bed, the veil on her head was lifted, revealing Chen Yanzhou dressed in red. The impact and the feeling of being amazed at first glance finally made Yun Ying feel a sense of reality.

She got married today.

And Chen Yanzhou.

"Oh my, the bride is stunned. Hahaha, have you never seen a more outstanding young man than our Yanzhou? Don't be shy, this man is yours from now on, you can look at him however you want."

Yunying lowered her head after being teased, while Chen Yanzhou withdrew his affectionate and joyful gaze and bowed to the aunts and sisters-in-law in the room, begging for forgiveness.

"Stop teasing her, she's easily embarrassed. Aunties, please be kind and go ahead to have your drinks."

"Oh dear, you're protecting her now. Fine, fine, since you finally managed to get a wife, I'll let you off this time."

As the people in the room gradually left, Chen Yanzhou did not leave. Instead, he sat down next to Yun Ying.

Yunying was already uncomfortable, but he was staring straight at her, causing the blush that had just disappeared from her face to return.

Yunying couldn't help but scold him, "Why aren't you going out to offer toasts? What are you doing staying here?"

Her eyes were moist and sparkling, radiating a charming and bright light. With this reproach, her gaze became even more alluring and seductive, causing Chen Yanzhou's Adam's apple to bob involuntarily.

Chen Yanzhou's eyes gradually darkened, and he moved closer to Yun Ying, letting his hot breath spray onto her cheeks and neck.

"Yingying".

Yun Ying turned her head slightly, avoiding his overly greedy gaze, "What are you doing?"

Chen Yanzhou's lips landed on her slightly reddened ear. "Have I ever told you that you look especially beautiful today? I need to restrain myself very, very much to avoid kissing you right away..."

Yun Ying covered her face with one hand and reached out to push Chen Yanzhou away with the other. "You, you go out and offer toasts. There are so many people waiting for you outside. If you stay any longer, people will laugh at you."

Chen Yanzhou chuckled and followed her lead out.

He really, really didn't want to leave, but he also knew that he had to leave at this moment.

Chen Yanzhou finally gave Yun Ying a tight hug, saying, "Wait for me here, I'll be back in a bit."

Chen Yanzhou returned very quickly; before all the guests outside had even left, he went back to his room.

At this moment, Yunying had just eaten some food, taken a bath, changed into a red nightgown, and was preparing to sit on the bed and flip through a book.

No matter how much theoretical experience she has, she has no confidence without practical experience.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yanzhou returned at this time.

Yunying hurriedly stuffed the books under her pillow.

Chen Yanzhou gave her a meaningful look, but didn't ask her what she was hiding, nor did he ask her to get up and serve him.

He left behind the words "Wait for me," and then, while untying his belt, headed towards the purification room.

A bathtub filled with pre-prepared cool water was placed in the clean room.

Hearing the sound of rushing water coming from inside, Yunying belatedly realized that Chen Yanzhou was probably taking a bath.

She immediately got out of bed, wanting to barge in and tell him to stop washing.

It's only early May, and it's still a bit chilly at night. Taking a cold shower at this time is suicidal!
Yunying stamped her feet impatiently outside, "Slow down a bit, wait for the maid to bring you hot water."

Chen Yanzhou paused for a moment, but ignored the question of whether it was hot water or not.

He called to Yingying and asked, "Would you like to come in and scrub my back?"

Yunying blushed deeply, covered her ears, and ran to the bed, saying, "I don't want you to scrub my back. You can scrub it yourself."

Her disheveled state was evident from the sound of her hurried footsteps. Chen Yanzhou heard this and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

When Chen Yanzhou came out of the clean room covered in sweat, Yunying saw that his hair was wet and could only get up and get a towel to wring it out for him.

Chen Yanzhou simply said, "It's alright," and grabbed Yunying's slender waist, intending to drag her onto the bed.

Yunying struggled like a drowning person, "Put me down quickly, I, I'll wring your hair dry for you, how can you sleep with wet hair?"

Her words were righteous and stern, but her heart was pounding so loudly that Chen Yanzhou could hear it.

Chen Yanzhou hugged her tighter, his ear pressed against her chest. He laughed heartily, his voice both ambiguous and husky, "Yingying, what are you afraid of?"

"Who's scared? I'm not scared at all. Okay, stop talking nonsense. I'm going to wring your hair. Ouch, let go of me, you've gotten my clothes wet."

Chen Yanzhou stepped back slightly and looked in front of him. Sure enough, there was a wet patch on the bright red nightgown. He didn't know what kind of fabric it was, but after getting wet, it became slightly transparent, and Yun Ying's undergarments could be vaguely seen through it.

Upon seeing this, the heat that Chen Yanzhou had just suppressed surged up again.

He felt hot all over, his blood boiling like boiling water inside his body.

Adding to the faint scent of her body, which wafted into his nose and mouth, Chen Yanzhou became even more agitated.

His voice was hoarse as he pulled Yunying onto his lap. He suppressed his desire and teased her, saying, "It's okay if you get wet, you'll have to take them off anyway."

"Oh my, Chen Yanzhou, how dare you say that?"

In response to Yunying, Chen Yanzhou's laughter grew even more cheerful.

But soon, the sound disappeared, leaving only intermittent soft moans and heavy, unbearable panting.

Upon hearing the commotion, the dowry maid quickly sent the maids outside to the side room, while she herself stayed outside to keep watch.

Soon, the candles in the room went out, followed by the sounds of tearing fabric, a woman's voice that sounded like a mix of pain and pleasure, and the constant shaking of the four-poster bed.

A commotion arose outside the courtyard. Chen Yanhuai asked the old woman guarding the gate, "Has my second brother returned yet?"

"Second Master returned a quarter of an hour ago."

"So... have they already retired for the night? Why are all the lights off in the room?"

"This, this..."

"Forget it, my second brother has drunk quite a bit today. I'll continue entertaining him. Gu Yuanxi is really crazy, drinking like water. If he gets my second brother drunk... that won't do, my second brother is getting married today..."

Yunying couldn't hear the noise outside at all.

She seemed to be caught in the tide.

As the waves surged and churned, she too rose and fell uncontrollably in the tide.

She convulsed and wept in pleasure. Her cries echoed out, but received no pity from the man.

The man was like a wild beast with its gates opened, relentlessly demanding and plundering, tearing her apart and devouring her flesh and blood.

Finally able to rest, Chen Yanzhou stroked the still trembling beauty in his arms and asked in a hoarse voice, "Yingying, what book did you hide just now?"

Yunying's body was tense, and she dared not make the slightest movement.

Chen Yanzhou leaned closer, his hands gesturing wildly. "Yingying, I know even if you don't say it. But my knowledge is limited. Why don't we learn more from the books?"

Before Yunying could resist, he flipped her over and pressed her down hard.

The noise inside the house continued until very late.

And the days when they can sleep in each other's arms are still very long.

Ahem, the main story is over. Hooray! There will be about two extra chapters afterwards, focusing on the married life and beyond. Those who are interested, come and read them!

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(End of this chapter)