Chu Zhiyan led his men to surround the small tea shed. He dismounted and walked behind it.
"Going back on your word?"
Di Lanmo could tell that Chu Zhiyan wasn't overly angry but rather more helpless.
This helplessness made her feel an unusual sense of guilt. "There was a little accident. Didn't I arrange a bride for you? It doesn't matter who you marry. Why did you have to chase after me?"
Looking at the woman in front of him who spouted such audacious words with a flip of her lips, Chu Zhiyan didn't know whether to be angry or laugh.
If it weren't for finding this woman interesting after several encounters, would he have followed the Emperor's will and accepted this marriage!
"The sedan chair is right behind. Do you want to go there by yourself, or do I have to invite you?"
Di Lanmo glanced left at Chu Zhiyan, whose face was getting darker, and right at the guards who had formed a circle. After weighing for a moment, she said, "Look at what you're saying. Of course, I'll go to the sedan chair by myself! Let's go!"
With that, she led the way back in the direction they came from.
Chu Zhiyan added, "The wedding dress is on the sedan chair. Remember to change into it!"
Di Lanmo waved her hand. "Got it!"
After walking for a while, they returned to the sedan chair. Di Tingyu was seen following the sedan - chair procession in a sorry state.
Probably because she had never walked such a long distance before, she was covered in dust. The red wedding dress was no longer exquisite. The hem of the skirt was torn and tattered by the stones. She looked at Di Lanmo with venomous eyes, as if she wanted to devour her alive.
Di Lanmo got into the sedan chair without a care.
She sighed. She still couldn't escape. She'd just take it one step at a time from now on!
She took off her clothes and changed into the wedding dress. Then the wedding attendant came up to do her makeup.
When everything was ready, Chu Zhiyan said, "Let's set off!"
When they entered the city gate, out of fear of Chu Zhiyan's might, the common people didn't dare to talk about Di Lanmo. However, Di Tingyu, who had been left outside the city gate, was ridiculed.
Mrs. Lin, who was waiting at the city gate, saw her daughter in such a sorry state. She was angry but dared not speak out. She called out to Qiuyue. "Hurry, help the young lady into the carriage and go back to the mansion!"
Just as they were about to enter the city after getting into the carriage, they were stopped by the soldiers. "The prince has ordered that on the day of his wedding, no carriages or horses are allowed to enter the city before noon! But you can leave the carriage behind and enter the city on foot!"
Even so, Mrs. Lin saw that just a moment ago, a commoner's carriage had entered the city! It was obvious that this was to make her daughter the target of everyone's gossip in the city!
"Going too far!" Mrs. Lin was so angry that she felt a rush of blood to her head. Her eyelids fluttered, and she fainted.
At the Prince of Qin's Mansion.
As soon as the wedding sedan chair stopped, firecrackers went off and cheers filled the air.
The common people who came to watch the excitement lined the streets. Since the Prince of Qin proposed marriage, the people in the whole city had been curious about how extraordinary one of the two most outstanding beauties in the capital was!
This was a great opportunity to get a glimpse. Even just a back view could satisfy their curiosity, so they all craned their necks forward.
Chu Zhiyan dismounted and walked to the sedan chair. He stretched out his big hand. "Let's go."
A fair and delicate hand reached out from behind the curtain. The slender fingers like scallions lifted a corner of the curtain and slowly pushed it aside.
Suddenly, there was a collective gasp. Everyone looked on expectantly. What kind of a beautiful woman could be the owner of such a delicate hand?
The veil was lifted, and a peerlessly beautiful young girl stepped out gracefully.
The girl had black hair and beautiful sideburns, willowy eyebrows, a jade - like nose, and red lips. What was most striking were her phoenix - like eyes, with a clear and sharp look!
The layers of embroidered robes fit her body perfectly, showing off her high chest and slender waist, with a charming figure.
With tassels hanging down and a hundred - flower pleated skirt trailing on the ground, embroidered with noble seven - tailed phoenixes. As the girl stepped out of the sedan chair, the phoenixes seemed to be about to shake their wings and fly high!
The same exclamation rose in everyone's hearts: Such a peerless beauty. No wonder the Prince of Qin had offered such a generous betrothal gift!
It's worth it! Truly worth it!
A flash of surprise crossed Chu Zhiyan's eyes. An idea that he would have scoffed at under normal circumstances popped into his mind.
He frowned slightly. "Where's the bridal veil?"
Di Lanmo raised her delicate eyebrows. "It's stuffy. I don't want to wear it!"
She cast a calm look at the Prince of Qin's Mansion.
This was Di Lanmo's first time here. Right in the middle was a golden plaque with the three characters "Prince of Qin's Mansion" engraved on it, flowing and powerful. In front of the wide bronze iron gate squatted two white jade stone lions with their heads held high and beads in their mouths. The stone walls were high, solemn, grand, and imposing.
"Did you write this?" Di Lanmo asked.
"Yeah."
"Beautiful calligraphy!"
"Overpraised!"
Seeing that the two were about to start chatting at the gate, the wedding attendant quickly stepped forward. "Your Highness, Your Highness the Princess. The auspicious time is almost over. How about going to the wedding ceremony first?"
After the wedding ceremony with Chu Zhiyan, a nurse led Di Lanmo to the bridal chamber. When they reached a courtyard, the nurse curtsied. "Your Highness the Princess, this is the bridal chamber and your future residence!"
Di Lanmo nodded and walked in first.
A woman in a rose - red dress walked out of the courtyard, followed by four maids.
The rose - red - dressed woman clasped her fists and said coldly, "Greetings to Your Highness the Princess! My name is Lan Jiaoshu. I'm the prince's personal confidant!" She turned to indicate the four maids behind her. "These four maids will be assigned to your courtyard from now on. If you need anything, Your Highness the Princess can just order them!"
The four women walked out from behind Lan Jiaoshu, stepped forward, and curtsied gracefully. "We are servants Qingmei, Qinglan, Qingzhu, and Qingju. Greetings to Your Highness the Princess!"
Di Lanmo muttered to herself, "Plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. They're always here! And this Lan Jiaoshu—"
Although she was muttering, she had to discuss with Chu Zhiyan that night to bring Qingque to the mansion.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Chu Zhiyan. It was just that compared to these scheming women, she trusted Qingque more!
After entering the room, she said to those who had followed her in, "You can leave now!"
The people looked at each other. The nurse stammered, "Your Highness the Princess, this... this is against the rules."
"I said, you can go." Her words were cold but carried a silent solemnity that made people submit involuntarily.
"...Yes!"
After they left, Di Lanmo closed the door. She looked around the room. After making sure there was no problem, she casually took off the coronet and clothes on her head and lay down on the bed!
"Damn it! I forgot!" Di Lanmo jumped up, lifted the quilt, swept the "dates, peanuts, longans, and chestnuts" that had been spread all over the bed onto the ground, and then lay down again.
In a daze, Di Lanmo felt a somewhat familiar gaze on her. She suddenly opened her eyes and jumped up.
The person was sitting at the table, holding a cup of hot tea. Perhaps he had just taken a bath, and his black hair was slightly damp and draped behind him. It was Chu Zhiyan.
Di Lanmo put away her vigilance. Leaning against the bed, she looked at the sky outside and asked, "What time is it?"
Chu Zhiyan took a sip of tea and put down the cup. He stood up and slowly walked up to Di Lanmo. He said playfully, "It's the Hour of the Boar. Do you want something to eat? Or shall we just consummate the marriage?"
A flash of killing intent crossed Di Lanmo's eyes, but when she looked up, there was no trace of it. "There's no need for consummating the marriage. How about we make a deal?"
Chu Zhiyan's eyes lit up. "Oh? What kind of deal?"
"I once detoxified you in that hot spring. Counting the time, the three - month period is over. I'm sure you haven't been feeling well these days, right?"