Chapter 5: Scheme Five

Carry her?

Qin Xiang’s whole body trembled. She couldn’t carry anyone—she was too weak. She looked, feeling guilty, at the hands gripping the wedding fan—well-proportioned knuckles. She paused a breath, then negotiated with her sister-in-law, “Let’s lead, then.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the maids tucked the red silk into her hands, and one end was placed respectfully into her sister-in-law’s grasp.

Everything was kept simple. There was no ceremonial music—only the two of them in solemn, magnificent wedding robes, the embroidery exquisite, surely the product of years of preparation.

Qin Xiang glanced at her sister-in-law’s wedding robe. The embroidery was superb—no mere day’s work.

With such thoughts weighing on her, the two walked to the front hall.

In the hall sat a woman, expression severe. Though richly dressed, her face held displeasure; with her sharp brows and pointed chin, she looked anything but easy to deal with.

Whoever sat in the head seat must be her sister-in-law’s mother. Yet where was her father? Qin Xiang was full of questions but dared not ask. She could bring it up with her sister-in-law after the ceremony. The Lin and Qin families had been without news for years; things changed, and it was rude to pry.

The hall held its breath. No one dared speak. The old lady’s eyes stuck to Qin Xiang, looking her up and down, then deliberately said, “A bit thin, and short too. Not as sturdy as my nephew.”

Qin Xiang flushed red at the remark, her hands gripping the red silk trembling. She didn’t know what to say. Qin Mo was thin too, and not tall; these years he was propped up by herbal decoctions.

She was the only one embarrassed. Everyone else seemed not to have heard. Even their breathing didn’t waver.

A steward sang out: Bow to heaven and earth—utterly ignoring the old lady.

Qin Xiang hurriedly turned toward the door, catching a glimpse of her sister-in-law. She bent her spine, her slender form curving gracefully, her neck lovely in profile.

Second bow: to the elders.

The two turned to face the old lady. Qin Xiang was all the more respectful, while Yun Qian made a token bow, bending less deeply than before.

The final bow.

They faced each other. Qin Xiang’s eyes rested on the face behind the wedding fan, and her lips curved without her knowing why—her heart was leaping with joy.

Who wouldn’t love a beautiful bride? Who wouldn’t love a gentle, understanding wife?

Her sister-in-law fit every standard of a virtuous woman—an unapproachable bright moon in the heavens, a radiant beauty.

They bowed deeply to each other. Qin Xiang gave it her all. Yun Qian, meanwhile, recalled the previous life.

She had been a righteous person—how could she bow to a Demon Empress? Every meeting, she refused to show proper deference, and the Empress had never minded. Instead, she smiled and inquired warmly after her.

This time, she bent her spine and bowed to the woman sharing her pillow.

In this life, she bowed to her wife, Qin Xiang—not to the Empress Qin of a past life.

The ceremony ended. The crowd surrounded the newlyweds and escorted them to the bridal chamber.

Old Madam Yun pulled aside the steward who had led the rites. “That young gentleman looks only fifteen or sixteen. Something’s off.”

Yun Qian was twenty-four. She had followed the Empress Dowager for years, entering the court at twelve beside her.

Her father had died twenty years ago. The young gentleman was only fifteen or sixteen. How could they have been betrothed?

The more Old Madam Yun puzzled, the more certain she was that Yun Qian had pulled in some random person to fool her. There was something fishy here.

But the steward replied, “The young master did arrive holding the marriage contract. My master read it and confirmed it before ordering the ceremony. He’s from the Qin family of Zhenjiang, here to seek a bride. As for his age—I couldn’t say.”

Playing dumb. In any case, the contract was in the mistress’s hands.

Old Madam Yun wouldn’t give up. She wanted to storm the bridal chamber and demand answers. The steward said, “Old lady, today is Prime Minister Yun’s happy day. Please don’t disturb the couple’s joy. Whatever it is, we can discuss tomorrow.”

As he spoke, maids who had been waiting stepped in, took the old lady by the arms, and marched her out.

Old Madam Yun refused to go quietly, screaming at the top of her voice, “What does this mean? Slaughter the donkey once it’s done the work? Throw me out now that I’ve served my purpose? Yun Qian! Yun Qian, you unfilial daughter! Come out here! I’ll go to the magistrate and charge you with filial impiety, I’ll charge you both!”

The maids, in one smooth motion, stuffed her into a carriage and ordered the coachman to take her home.

Old Madam Yun pounded the window, screaming. The louder she screamed, the faster the coachman cracked his whip.

Meanwhile, in the bridal chamber, the two newlyweds sat straight-backed. Maids brought the Nuptial Wine; each took a cup. Qin Xiang was a bundle of nerves. She didn’t dare look at her sister-in-law, and drained her cup in one go.

After the nuptial wine, the Wedding Matron said a few auspicious phrases, then withdrew. The attending maids followed suit, leaving the small bridal chamber to the new couple.

Once everyone was gone, Qin Xiang’s suspended heart slowly settled. From the corner of her eye, she saw her sister-in-law gazing forward. The flower crown weighed on her like a thousand catties, yet she showed no sign of fatigue.

The noise outside faded. In the bridal chamber, the sound of breathing slowly grew louder.

Yun Qian suddenly asked, “Do you know how to kiss?”

At such a moment, the “man” was supposed to take the lead. But seeing Qin Xiang’s demeanor, even a hundred ceremonies wouldn’t make her make the first move.

Qin Xiang was stunned. “I… I don’t know how.”

“You don’t know.” Yun Qian murmured, a glint flashing in her eyes, then smiled. “I’ll teach you.”

Having lived two lifetimes, she was of course far beyond this naïve girl.

She raised her hand and lifted Qin Xiang’s chin before waiting for permission.

Qin Xiang was utterly flustered, her little eyes wide. Yun Qian leaned in close, her nose nearly touching hers, and parted her red lips. “When you kiss, you must give it your full heart. Don’t think about anything else.”

As she spoke, her lips lightly brushed the corner of Qin Xiang’s pressed mouth—warm as jade.

Qin Xiang forgot to breathe. In that instant, it felt like a feather had swept across her heart—itching, unbearable.

Slowly, a thread of scorching breath spread between them.

Before the kiss even landed, Qin Xiang was already overwhelmed, the hot breath threatening to swallow her.

She tried to pull back, but her sister-in-law pressed in.

Lips touched. Her mind went blank. She didn’t know if she was hot, or if her sister-in-law’s temperature ran cool—the lips that met hers carried a chill.

An inexplicable emotion crashed over her, shattering her resolve.

Yun Qian kissed her deliberately slowly—just pressing, nothing more. The girl before her forgot to blink, her eyes fluttering, lost and green.

Finally, she bit down on that lip—soft, sweet, honeyed.

Drunk on the breeze, sweetness flooding the heart.

A taste, and then she drew back.

Yun Qian straightened and looked at her. “Did you learn?”

After teaching, one must test.

Qin Xiang was dumbstruck. The corner of her lips still held a trace of her sister-in-law’s flavor. What had her sister-in-law said?

Did she learn?

“I… I think so…” Qin Xiang was at a loss. “What did you teach?”

Her sister-in-law had only pressed close and bitten her lip once. Then… nothing?

Was kissing that simple?

Qin Xiang sank into confusion, staring at her sister-in-law with vacant eyes.

Yun Qian frowned. “It seems you haven’t learned. Should I teach you again?”

Her tone was like a schoolmaster’s, making Qin Xiang squirm. She didn’t dare look up, her brows drooping as she explained on her own, “Just now… I can do that too…”

“You mean it wasn’t deep enough?” Yun Qian’s tone was lazy, as if she were genuinely reflecting.

Qin Xiang waved her hands hastily. “It’s late, it’s late. Time to rest. Isn’t your flower crown heavy? Why not take it off first?”

Yun Qian nodded. “Next time I’ll teach you again.”

Four simple words made Qin Xiang’s heart tremble. There’s a next time? What would that be like?

The girl who was afraid suddenly felt a hint of anticipation.

Yun Qian rose to remove her hair ornaments. Maids filed in, bustling around her.

Qin Xiang finally had a moment. She pressed her lips together, instinctively rose, and walked out. The room was too cramped; it was suffocating.

The lanterns were lit, dotted along the eaves. Outside, the maids stood in a row—pretty faces, solemn expressions. The bearing of a great house’s servants surpassed that of ordinary young ladies.

Qin Xiang’s heart was a mess of mixed feelings.

As time passed, the maids filed out. Qin Xiang’s eyes lowered, the moonlight frosting the corners of her gaze.

They had bowed at dusk but not yet eaten dinner. When Yun Qian came out from her bath, dinner was already on the table.

The two sat across from each other. Yun Qian had changed into a crimson, narrow-sleeved soft silk dress, hair loose over her shoulders, skin like snow, glowing in the candlelight—a lotus fresh from water.

No talking at meals. The room was silent.

Qin Xiang looked up several times; her sister-in-law said nothing. A lady’s upbringing meant silence at the table, so Qin Xiang suppressed her thoughts and focused on filling her belly.

By the end of the meal, her back was drenched.

Yun Qian had used only half a bowl of rice. After the meal was cleared, she glanced at Qin Xiang. “My father died early. There is only—”

“A-Qian! A-Qian!” A voice outside cut her off.

The door was open; maids were coming and going, clearing the table. At the shout, the attending maids charged out and quickly blocked the old lady.

“Yun Qian, Yun Qian, I’m your mother! You dare deceive me?! You wretch—”

One curse in, a maid clamped a hand over Old Madam Yun’s mouth.

The old lady had returned—seemingly deliberately, to start a scene.

Inside, Qin Xiang stood, instinctively looking out. “Who is Yun Qian?”

The maids still in the room froze. Who was Yun Qian? Yun Qian was the master of this residence—the head of all officials, raised up by the Empress Dowager herself.

Yun Qian smiled. “Yun Qian is me.”

Qin Xiang was bewildered. “But… aren’t you Lin Yao?”

How did a daughter of the Yun family get mixed into the Qin-Lin betrothal?

“I am not Lin Yao. I am Yun Qian.” Yun Qian admitted her identity plainly, stood, and met Qin Xiang’s eyes. “We have bowed.”

She admitted it so quickly that Qin Xiang’s head buzzed. How could anyone confess so readily?

“The contract names Qin Mo and Lin Yao. You aren’t Lin Yao—so why did you accept this marriage?” Qin Xiang’s face paled. She truly couldn’t understand this woman of the Yun family.

She was timid by nature, but now she dared to face Yun Qian squarely, a rabbit-like fury flashing in her eyes.

The noise outside died down; the old woman was dragged away. The maids wondered how the old lady, with the residence so tightly guarded, had broken into the bridal chamber.

Inside, Yun Qian sat back down, a playful smile curling at her lips. Having contended with the Empress Qin for half a lifetime, she found this timid, upright girl before her more likable by the day.

“You want to annul the marriage?” Yun Qian deflected with a question.

Qin Xiang trembled. Annul it?

Yun Qian said again, “But we’ve already been intimate.”