Chapter 8: Into the nuptial chambers Original and most updated translations are from volaretranslations.
The bride had crossed the threshold, but without a groom how could she do the traditional three bows? Granny Wang listened to Grand Concubine Yiâs orders and sent her off to the nuptial chambers.
âIs she really that beautiful?â Grand Concubine Yi asked, her face full of doubt.
âGrand Imperial Concubine, your servant saw it with her own eyes! Itâs the absolute truth! I donât know where these groundless rumors came from to call such a beauty an ugly hag!â
âImpossible!â Grand Concubine Yi sat up straight. âIâve seen her when she was young, she had a large scar on the right side of her face!â
âGrand Imperial Concubine, youâll get to see the bride when she comes to pay her respects tomorrow. How would your servant dare to trick you? The Han family is renowned for their medical skills, so perhaps theyâve finally cured her,â Granny Wang could only try to explain things this way.
Grand Concubine Yi impatiently waved her hand, awarding Granny Wang some money before letting her go.
âMufei, this is great news! Itâs better if she looks pretty, or else weâd completely lose face for the Duke of Qin by letting her in today, even though the empress dowager forced elder brotherâs hand. Isnât it better that she didnât shame us?â Murong Wanru chirped happily.
Grand Concubine Yi was a little appeased by the fact that Han Yunxi was beautiful, but hearing the words âempress dowagerâ put her back in a foul mood. She coldly replied, âThe empress dowager forced the daughter of her lifesaver on my son. What else would this be, if not humiliation? So what if sheâs beautiful?â
Murong Wanru had no choice but to heave a sigh. âAye, if her mother hadnât saved the empress back then, then nowâŚâ\nMurong Wanru didnât have to finish the sentence, but even an idiot knew that if that incident hadnât happened, even the fate of current emperor might have changed. Han Yunxiâs mother saved the empress dowagerâs life back then, changing the lives of an entire generation.
âEnough of that, I donât covet that position. Iâm already plenty satisfied with Feiye as a son. You can leave now,â Grand Concubine Yi rubbed her forehead as she spoke.
âYes, Wanruâs said too much,â Murong Wanru retreated meekly. As soon as she went out the door, she headed towards the Duke of Qinâs Hibiscus Courtyard, but stopped just short of the door.
She was very clear that Long Feiyeâs private quarters lay beyond the doorway and he resented others casually entering his space. Even a foster sister like herself was no exception. But that Han Yunxi had openly entered them under the title of his official wife. After thinking for a bit, Murong Wanru couldnât help but clench her fists. She couldnât help but muse that Han Yunxi would be chased out of the household as soon as Long Feiye returned.
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Han Yunxi had no idea about the particulars of this Hibiscus Courtyard. In the end, she ending up sitting on the bed, waiting for half of the day for nobody. She actually dared to lift the wedding veil and stood up to stretch, before deciding to take off the phoenix wedding coronet. Immediately, it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her head, making things much more comfortable.
The first thing she wanted to do was check a mirror because she had no idea what she looked like to startle all the people outside. The nefarious culprit that had tried to incriminate her with the stealthy dart only put her in spotlight instead. That person must be very gloomy now, right? Han Yunxi was in a good mood as she casually sat in front a mirror, only to be stunned by her own reflection.\nHer reflection was similar in spirit to her own face, but the shape, skin color, and features were far more attractive. The pretty looks of the original body combined with Han Yunxiâs own innate charm truly combined the best of beauty inside and out for a stunning sight.
Han Yunxi lightly caressed her right cheek, where there wasnât even any sign of the old scar. It was as if itâd never existed in the first place. She couldnât help but think that this face was at least worthy of a Duke of Qin. That man still hadnât shown up yet, so who knew what he looked like?
She stood up and paced around in a circle before discovering these rooms were unusually large. The bedroom wasnât part of the main rooms, but separated from them by a layer of thick and heavy curtains. Beyond the curtains laid an even bigger space, with an indoor hot spring on the right and a study on the left. Straight in front of her stood a long, serene passageway flanked by two rows of pillars that led directly to the front gates. It would be better to say that this wasnât a bedroom, but sleeping quarters equivalent to that of an emperor and empress.
âSo excessively extravagant!â Han Yunxi went for a stroll, feeling her legs ache by the time she made it back. Didnât rich and influential families have lots of attendants? This house is so large, yet thereâs no sign of anyone around. She couldnât even find a person to question here, how strange.
Han Yunxi sat back on the bed, wondering whether the bridegroom would come home tonight.\n