Chapter 62

In the main hall, there was only Sang Yin sitting at the main seat.

The main hall had been cleaned inside and out yesterday, and now Sang Yin sat there radiant.

For today, he had stayed up half the night in excitement and even shaved his beard and applied some hair oil in the morning, looking even more cheerful.

When he went to court this morning, Xie, the venerable elder who usually carried great authority, had initiated a conversation with him for the first time as they left court.

He originally thought that Elder Xie, with his character, wouldn’t care about differences in social status.

Actually, at the level of the Xie family, unless Xie Yun was marrying a princess, it was hard to achieve an equal social match.

But unexpectedly, Xie Huanzhi was not only unconcerned.

Seeing Elder Xie, who usually had a stern face, smiling as he walked towards him today, Sang Yin appeared calm on the surface, but in fact, he was pleasantly surprised.

He was almost startled by it, but with so many people around, he couldn’t show any weakness. So, he managed to endure it and bowed politely, “Elder Xie.”

Xie Huanzhi, in an unusually friendly manner, gave him a support and said with a smile in front of everyone, “Master Sang, there’s no need to be so formal, from now on, we’re one family.”

He was so close to Xie Huanzhi that he felt his tone was unnecessarily loud, even a bit grating, as if he wasn’t just saying it to him.

As expected, several ministers nearby also heard it and came forward. “Hey? What does Elder Xie mean by that?”

While Sang Yin was still thinking about how to word his response to subtly display his superiority, Xie Huanzhi had already cheerfully said, “It’s nothing major, it’s just that my son will marry Master Sang’s daughter soon.”

“The wedding date is not yet set. When it’s decided, we’ll send out invitations, and I hope everyone will attend.”

Sang Yin: “…”

Was that just said?

He had been cautiously avoiding mentioning it when he came to court this morning, but Xie Huanzhi just blurted it out! How…how could such a big matter not have been mentioned by Sang Yin even slightly?

“What else could it be! Of course, it’s because he’s afraid of being accused of being impatient by the Xie family! I didn’t expect Xie Huanzhi to be even more impatient than him!”

But since it was like this, as the father of the bride, he naturally had to remain composed.

He smiled slightly and casually replied, “There’s no rush to set the wedding date.”

Originally, he was going to the Ministry of Punishments today and had specially informed the emperor to take the day off to show his respect.

Sang Yao had been motherless since childhood, and Sang Yin had not remarried. With no mistress in the house, the daily trivial matters were always taken care of by Sang Yao’s aunt. But in this case, it was inappropriate for Sang Yao’s aunt to handle it, so as the father, Sang Yin had to attend himself to show importance.

After the matchmaker arrived, Sang Yin conducted everything methodically according to etiquette, speaking confidently without being overly humble or arrogant.

While adhering to the rules of etiquette, there was also some restraint.

He asked what needed to be asked, raised what needed to be raised, no matter what he thought in his heart, he would never let the Xie family feel rushed by his daughter.

After exchanging the marriage letters and receiving a heap of betrothal gifts, the matter was considered settled.

Sang Yin saw the matchmaker off, and outside the mansion, there were many onlookers.

Sang Yin stood tall, then with a sweeping gesture of his wide sleeves, he led the people back inside the mansion.

Sang Yao didn’t go out. After a while, someone came to inform her that the matchmaker had left, and then a servant placed a jade sculpture on the table.

The red silk depicted a lifelike goose.

Made of Hetian mutton-fat jade, its preciousness went without saying. The jade was smooth and refined, exuding an elegant charm.

The jade was smooth and delicate.

Throughout history, geese have always symbolized love. As Sang Yao looked at this goose sculpture, she suddenly remembered that not long ago, she and Xie Yun seemed like two strangers who couldn’t exchange a word all year round.

Most of their few encounters in the past were in bustling crowds, where she followed everyone’s gaze to the man who had been in the limelight since childhood.

Sang Yao disliked socializing, especially with men. Xie Yun wouldn’t talk to her, wouldn’t look at her more than once, and wouldn’t even help her up if she fell next to him.

The two people who were originally poles apart were now about to get married in less than three months.

Now, with Ran Dong behind her, Sang Yao said, “Miss, traditionally, people like to give live geese as gifts, and men would personally hunt them to present to the bride’s family. It’s inconvenient, so it’s better this way. Look, this jade is so beautiful.”

Speaking of hunting, Sang Yao couldn’t help but think of Xie Yun again.

Thinking of his noble face and his dust-free aura, she couldn’t imagine what Xie Yun would look like hunting geese. She poked at the goose feather and said, “He’s such a bookworm, how could he manage such activities?” Ran Dong interjected, “Miss, you’re mistaken.” Sang Yao uttered a sound of acknowledgment, “Where am I mistaken?”

Xie Yun had been well-educated since childhood. By the time Sang Yao started to understand the power structure in the capital, Xie Yun was already a rising star in court.

Ran Dong said, “Miss, Mr. Xie is also very skilled in archery. At the age of fourteen, he went to the border with the former General Xie. Don’t underestimate Mr. Xie’s age at the time. He was a genuine warrior who had been on the battlefield and made contributions.”

“Although they were just minor achievements, for a fourteen-year-old boy, it was quite remarkable.”

The General Xie she mentioned was Xie Yun’s late uncle, Xie Yingzhi, who had saved Lu Li before.

He had made great military achievements during his lifetime and was also considered Xie Yun’s elder.

The mention of taking heads made Sang Yao pause for a moment. She had never heard of these things before.

Xie Yun’s usual refined and dignified demeanor made it hard to imagine him on the battlefield.

She pursed her lips slightly in surprise.

“But Mr. Xie only stayed for a year and then came back. It seems he wasn’t interested in being a general.”

The first time Sang Yao saw Xie Yun, he seemed to be around twelve or thirteen years old. At that time, he wasn’t as tall as he is now, nor as upright. Although he was calm and composed, there was still a hint of childishness in his features.

He probably didn’t look much different at the age of fourteen. Sang Yao couldn’t imagine how Xie Yun, who was so young, could go to the battlefield.

“I heard that Mr. Xie later joined the court and didn’t choose to stay in the army, it seems…?” Ran Dong paused, a look of incredulity on his face, then uncertainly added, “Because he found it dirty?” Somehow, when it came to Xie Yun, this seemed somewhat plausible.

Sang Yao uttered an acknowledgment and had someone put away the goose sculpture. Although she felt Xie Yun was impressive, she couldn’t help but take a dig at him, muttering, “He’s really delicate.”

Ran Dong stifled a smile, “So, Miss, if you want a live goose, just tell Mr. Xie, he’ll definitely hunt one for you.”

Sang Yao kept her head down, continuing to fiddle with the unfinished handkerchief, and whispered, “I don’t want one.”

If there was no rush, the three books and six rituals could be fully adhered to.

Cheng took at least half a year to come down, but whether it was from Xie Huan or Sang Yin’s side, they both hoped the two would get married as soon as possible, fearing unexpected changes. As for Xie Yun, there was no need to mention it. Sang Yao also didn’t have any requirements regarding this matter, fearing that Rong Yan might do something tricky during this period, so she followed Sang Yin’s advice in everything.

Although Xie Yun wanted to marry Sang Yao as early as the beginning of June, the complex procedures were there, and he wouldn’t skip any of them just to hurry things up. Therefore, the wedding date was finally set for August.

June was too soon, inevitably leading to hurried preparations. Both Sang Yin and the Xie family didn’t want to neglect Sang Yao because of this, so the earliest possibility was July.

To this end, Elder Xie quietly went to the Ministry of Rites to consult. July and September had Qingming and Chong Gong, colloquially known as Ghost Festival. The divination also showed it was not suitable for marriage.

After several discussions, the wedding date was set for August 15th.

That’s also the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

It’s now late May, less than three months away from the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to the customs, Sang Yao needed to embroider a sachet for Xie Yun before the wedding.

Embroidery was not difficult for Sang Yao.

Upon hearing the news, she finished embroidering the sachet at the beginning of June.

The embroidery on the sachet was a very traditional mandarin duck playing in water pattern, which was what most ordinary people embroidered for their weddings.

However, later on, she stared at the sachet and always felt unsatisfied, so she changed the stitching technique and re-embroidered it. But comparing the two, she couldn’t tell if the latter was much better than the former.

It’s really troublesome.

In the blink of an eye, it was already early August, and Sang Yao’s sachet was still undecided.

Ran Dong held a wooden box, inside were at least seven or eight sachets that had been made, the rest were embroidered patterns. They hadn’t even had the chance to be made into sachets before Sang Yao invalidated them.

In fact, with her skills, any one of them could astonish people if taken out. Ran Dong said, “Miss, this one is clearly very nice, why are you not satisfied again?” Sang Yao shook her head and said, “I used the wrong color for one thread. It would be better if it were blue.”

Ran Dong sighed and said, “Miss, the young lady from the palace sent word over, wanting you to meet her.” Only then did Sang Yao put down what she was holding.

Since the wedding date was set, Sang Yao rarely went out. During this time, there were a lot more invitations from various circles, most of which were various banquets or activities organized by noblewomen.

Many of them were Sang Yao’s former friends, some of whom were eager to reconcile with her, their sincere words almost bringing tears to one’s eyes.

Sang Yao didn’t respond to any of them.

At first, she thought there was still plenty of time, but when August came, various matters in the mansion began to be prepared, and she felt an urgent sense of getting married.

The next day, Sang Yao went to the palace.

As soon as she entered the Quiet Moon Palace, Sang Shu came over, she held Sang Yao’s hand and looked her up and down, then praised, “It’s been two months, Yao Yao has become even more beautiful.”

“Did you lose a bit of weight?”

Sang Yao felt a little guilty, because entering August, the weather was hot, and the thinner the clothes, the more obvious the bump in front of her became.

Others were flat, or had only a small bump. Only she had a very obvious curve in front, coupled with her slender waist and back, it looked even more improper.

She attributed it to her being too fat and secretly started dieting. She hadn’t eaten dinner for half a month.

At midnight, Sang Yao would often feel very hungry, but she always resisted the temptation.

Only Ran Dong knew about this because if it spread, they would definitely think she was dieting to become a beautiful bride for Xie Yun.

But she wasn’t. She just happened to want to lose weight during this time.

Sang Yao pretended to be surprised and awkwardly lied, “…I just don’t have much of an appetite in the summer.”

Sang Shu didn’t expose her, instead she asked, “Yao Yao, how does Xie Yun treat you?”

Sang Yao was afraid her sister would worry, so she didn’t mention Rong Yan and just said, “He’s pretty good.”

Although he often ignored her, had a bad temper, and was sometimes moody, overall… he was considered a decent person.

Sang Shu smiled gently and said, “I think Xie Yun is quite good too.”

She touched Sang Yao’s cheek and said, “He’s gotten lucky.”

“Yao Yao, as long as you can marry the person you like, I’ll be satisfied. If there’s anything he does wrong to you in the future, just tell me.”

Sang Yao nodded, then looked up and whispered, “But sister, it seems like neither of us can afford to provoke him.”

Sang Shu laughed, then said seriously, “Who says we can’t afford to? Time changes everything.”

Sang Yao thought to herself that this had nothing to do with Xie Yun. Whether it was on the east or west side of the river, he would always be on the good side. But she still replied, “I’m not afraid of him.”

“If he provokes me, I’ll argue with him!”

Sang Shu chuckled, actually not worried that Xie Yun would bully Sang Yao. Judging by his behavior, since he had decided to marry her, he would fulfill his duties and wouldn’t mess around outside.

She was just worried that Xie Yun didn’t love Sang Yao.

Unlike her, their mother had been with Sang Yao for a few years, but Sang Yao was almost without a mother since birth, and because of her illness when she was born, she had suffered a lot in her childhood.

Sang Shu was a strong-willed person. Because she was older, and there was no one to support her when she was young, she became assertive on her own. Later, when she entered the palace, she used all means to rise to power.

But she didn’t want her sister to become like her. She wanted Sang Yao to grow up in love and protection, without having to think too much, just be happy. So Sang Shu always did her best to protect Sang Yao.

That’s why Sang Yao developed such a personality. Although she was often ill and occasionally bullied in her childhood, most of the time, someone was supporting her.

She grew up in the love and protection of Sang Shu and Sang Yin.

So even now, Sang Yao relied heavily on her father and sister. She used to like cuddling with people when she was young, and although she restrained herself as she grew up, she was still a clingy girl.

But Xie Yun was too indifferent.

Sang Shu didn’t mention these things to Sang Yao. She didn’t ask Sang Yao to come over today to congratulate her.

She raised her hand and said, “Listen, bring it over.”

Listen Dai responded, then brought out a wooden box, which was locked.

Sang Yao was puzzled, “Sister, what’s this?”

Sang Shu put the key to the wooden box in Sang Yao’s hand and said, “Yao Yao, wait until the night before the wedding to open this box.”

Sang Yao became even more confused, “Why all the secrecy?”

Sang Shu said, “You’ll know when the time comes. Don’t open it early, okay?” Sang Yao obediently agreed.

Sang Shu rubbed

She rubbed her head and whispered to Sang Yao, “Yao Yao, if you’re interested, you can study hard.”

She hinted, “It’s very useful for dealing with men.”

Sang Yao blushed slightly, thinking to herself if there were any secrets to placate men. She said, “Don’t worry, sister, I’ll definitely study hard.” She couldn’t let Xie Yun bully her.

After leaving the Quiet Moon Palace, she followed the young eunuch out of the inner palace and then, at the West Huamen Gate, she bumped into Yang Wenchuan in official attire.

He walked towards her, paused when he saw her, then stopped and said, “Yao Yao.”

Sang Yao also stopped, greeted him as she used to, “Brother Yang, are you going into the palace?” Yang Wenchuan pursed his lips and nodded, then said, “Are you going to see your sister?” Sang Yao nodded.

Seeing Yang Wenchuan silent, Sang Yao thought he might have something to do, so she didn’t want to disturb him.

She continued, “Then, Brother Yang… I’ll leave first.”

“Yao Yao, wait.”

Sang Yao halted, turned around, and looked at Yang Wenchuan with some surprise.

“What’s the matter?”

Yang Wenchuan looked at the girl’s face, naturally beautiful without makeup.

She really had a memorable face. The soft little girl from childhood had eventually grown up in a place he couldn’t see into.

When she was young, she called him “Brother Chuan” as if he were an elder brother.

As she grew older, she gradually understood the ways of the world and called him “Brother Yang,” treating him as a friend.

Since they met, although there was a brief childhood affection, her gaze at him had never changed.

Friendly, respectful, but also a little distant.

He asked, “Yao Yao, how have you been lately?”

Sang Yao nodded and said, “I’m okay. And you, Brother Yang?”

Yang Wenchuan also nodded. The cool breeze passed through the narrow corridor, brushing past the two.

In the past two months, Yang Wenchuan had actually seen Sang Yao a few times. But in each casual conversation, he had deceived himself into not mentioning the impending marriage.

However, this time, he didn’t know if he would have another chance to talk to her like this in the future. In silence, Yang Wenchuan said, “About your marriage with Xie Yun… Is it voluntary?”

This kind of question was actually a bit offensive, but Yang Wenchuan didn’t know how else to ask. He didn’t want to ask Sang Yao whether she liked Xie Yun or not.

Sang Yao pondered for a moment. She also didn’t know if she could call it voluntary, but she wasn’t entirely resistant. So she simply nodded and said, “What’s the matter?”

Standing in front of her, Yang Wenchuan and Sang Yao were separated by the proper distance. He remembered their conversation at the Northern Palace that day. Actually, at that time, he had some inkling about Sang Yao’s thoughts.

She didn’t seem to expect anything deep between them, as long as she was respected.

But that day, he hesitated for a long time and ultimately didn’t express his feelings to her.

So now, he wanted to ask Sang Yao, if he had said it that day, would she have agreed?

But after a while, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

At that time, he didn’t ask because he didn’t dare to. And now, he couldn’t ask anymore.

Yang Wenchuan smiled, his face showing a gentle smile. He said, “It’s nothing. I just wanted to say that if Xie Yun bullies you in the future, just tell me.”

Sang Yao also smiled, saying, “Okay.”

As the sun set, its residual light fell on the palace road, and the horizon surged with a brilliant red.

Like the hasty cold words between friends, after saying a few words, the two parted ways—one entering the palace, the other leaving.

He thought that being in the capital was different from being in Jiangnan. There was no misty rain here, no wading in trousers to catch fish, no carefree flying of kites, and the Sang family had all kinds of pastries.

Sang Yao wouldn’t envy the children playing together, nor would she look forward to his little pastries anymore.

Everything had changed.

But at the same time, nothing had changed.

And for Sang Yao, the wedding date was approaching in the blink of an eye. These dozen or so days had passed quickly for her. Unaware, time had already come to August 14th.