The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 5
Wen Shuse’s dizziness hadn’t completely subsided, her mind had cleared that. She understood that once the arrow was shot, there was no turning back. She couldn’t let all the effort go to waste. She forced herself to regain composure, holding the silk fan tightly against her face as her aunt had instructed, completely unaware that her aunt and maid had been silenced or that the groom across from her had also been replaced.
“First bow to heaven and earth.”
“Second bow to the ancestors.”
“Third bow to each other as husband and wife.”
“Ceremony complete…”
After the three bows, Wen Shuse felt no nervousness typical of a bride, only a sense of relief as if the event were over. The rites were done, and even if the eldest young master wanted to go back on his decision, it would be useless now.
The weight on her shoulders eased by eighty percent. She had heard from Xiangyun that the eldest young master was handsome, but everyone’s perception of beauty was different. What if he happened to be someone she didn’t find attractive…
Her thoughts shifted, and without thinking, she unconsciously moved the fan away from her face.
Before she could clearly see, several maids suddenly rushed over, supporting her arms as if they feared she would be seen, quickly turning her around and leading her toward the inner courtyard.
The front hall and inner courtyard of the Xie Mansion were separated by a flowered gate and the same red-painted doors, but unlike the main gate, which was styled like a general’s door, these had hanging column decorations. The columns in front of the door were suspended from the eaves, with beautifully carved colorful petals on top, creating a stunning and intricate design. The bride entered through a corridor lined with red silk, with numerous female relatives leaning on the railings of the corridors, gawking at the spectacle.
Amid the loud chatter and noise that filled her ears, Wen Shuse dared not glance around. She lowered her head and focused on the ground beneath her feet. Once, not long ago, she had been one of those women.
When Eldest Young Master Ming next door married his bride, Wen Shuse had gone to watch. Unable to see the bride’s face, she had felt a pang of disappointment.
She had secretly vowed that when her turn came, she would make sure to reveal half of her face from beneath the fan, just enough to cause a stir to make everyone gasp in awe.
But alas, things hadn’t gone as she had wished…
If she were to remove the fan now, there wouldn’t be any gasps; rather, the scene would likely fall into a dead silence, so profound it could make birds flee a thousand mountains.
She had lived honestly and openly for seventeen years, but this was her first time doing something she knew she shouldn’t. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and for the first time, she was finally experiencing what it felt like to have a guilty conscience.
The voices around her suddenly felt unbearably noisy. Her steps quickened, and she lost count of how many thresholds she’d crossed. The dizziness in her head was slowly fading, and she was becoming more and more clear-headed.
At last, the leading nanny stopped crossing doorways and turned left, guiding her up into the winding covered corridor.
“Madam, careful, mind your step.”
The surroundings grew quiet. Wen Shuse tilted her head slightly. To the left of the corridor stood a whitewashed wall topped with blue tiles, adorned with a row of delicate lattice windows. Through them, she glimpsed lush green banana leaves. Just as she approached, a rustle came from the thicket, and a flock of colorful birds burst forth, their cheerful chirping filling the air.
The birdsong grew even clearer as they entered the courtyard.
Did the eldest young master like keeping birds?
Wen Shuse suddenly remembered that day when they had come to see Ming Wanrou, the Third Young Master Xie had been holding a birdcage.
And later… the birdcage seemed to have been lost, and the bird had flown away.
Wen Shuse pressed her lips together tightly, fighting to suppress a smile.
Life is short; enjoy while you can. That had always been her motto. Even now, amid such tension, she could still find amusement.
She herself was like a Bodhisattva crossing a river, barely able to stay afloat, yet still had the mind to laugh at others’ misfortunes. Shaking her head, she shut her eyes briefly and cast away the ill-omened man from her thoughts, focusing instead on every plant and stone in her surroundings.
But the courtyard was far beyond what she’d imagined. There were smaller courtyards nested within one large compound; along the way, there were pavilions, towers, flower ponds, and waterside gazebos, making it like a garden retreat.
By the time they emerged from beneath a shaded rockery, Wen Shuse had completely lost her sense of direction.
After many twists and turns, the nanny finally stopped in front of a set of carved double doors with a pattern of interlocking spheres and diamond-shaped latticework. She didn’t walk any further and turned back to support Wen Shuse. “Madam, be careful of the threshold.”
Wen Shuse stepped forward, lowering her fan just half an inch.
Inside was a low, dark-lacquered table with curved legs, which held an inkstone and several rolled-up scroll paintings. Only the central seat bore a bamboo-woven meditation cushion.
Behind it, a row of diamond-patterned lattice windows flooded the room with light, and the rolled-up bamboo blinds above let in a flood of sunlight that streamed across another table by the window, one that was clearly for tea, with a full tea set neatly arranged.
At a glance, it was obviously a scholar’s study.
“Third Young Master, Third Young Master! Forgive me, I’m late…”
Suddenly, a voice burst out beside her. Wen Shuse was startled and turned her head sharply, nearly colliding with a birdcage hovering right in front of her.
It was a brightly colored myna bird.
Wen Shuse stared at the creature, momentarily locking eyes with it, still in a daze. Before she could react, the nanny beside her, looking flustered, hastily explained, “Since today is the wedding day of the Eldest Young Master and Madam, the Third Young Master especially had this bird sent over… to liven things up.”
Wen Shuse wasn’t fond of birds, especially the noisy, chirping kind. Her gaze flicked away with a trace of disdain, relieved it was just a false alarm. She adjusted her round fan and continued forward.
But the myna turned out to be quite the chatterbox, “Third Young Master, Third Young Master…”
“Shut your beak, you wretched thing!” The nanny broke into a cold sweat and looked ready to pry the bird’s beak open herself. In a hurry, she ushered Wen Shuse into the inner room.
The partition between the outer and inner rooms was a lattice-patterned door, draped with curtains and beaded strings. Two panels of the door stood open, and the curtain had been drawn up with golden hooks, leaving only the red bead curtain in place. Two maids on either side gently lifted the strands, respectfully waiting for the bride to pass through.
Once past the curtain, Wen Shuse was greeted by a floor screen of mandarin ducks printed on sheer green silk. Only after circling around it did she see the wedding bed, a carved four-poster draped in crimson silk. The bedding was festive red, embroidered with paired mandarin ducks and swirling clouds in brocade. The bright red mattress was covered with auspicious dried fruits, longans, peanuts, red dates, and lotus seeds.
The maid helped Wen Shuse sit on the wedding bed. “If Madam is tired, feel free to put down the fan. There are drinks and snacks, you can eat something to fill your stomach.”
With the empire stable for over two decades, customs had relaxed. Gone were the days when brides were forbidden to eat on their wedding day.
From the morning procession to now, it might have seemed quick, but in truth, more than half the day had passed.
Yet Wen Shuse showed no sign of putting down her fan. She sat upright, holding it steady, carefully scanning the room in search of Aunt Qing and Qiuying.
“Madam?”
“I’m not hungry.”
Wen Shuse had looked all around but saw no sign of them, not even a sound. She had no choice but to ask aloud, “Nanny, have you seen my aunt and maid who came with me?”
The older maid gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Madam. The Old Madam gave special instructions for us to take good care of the Wen family’s people. Aunt Qing and Miss Qiuying have both been well settled, currently resting and having a meal in the inner courtyard.” She bent at the waist in a formal bow and added, “My surname is Fang. If you need anything, Madam, you may come directly to me.”
Wen Shuse froze for a moment.
Having a meal and resting?
At a time like this…
Seeing the suspicion in her eyes, Nanny Fang stepped closer and lowered her voice, “Now that Madam has entered the door, from this day forward you are a member of the Xie family. There’s no harm in me telling you that there’s an unspoken rule in our house. On the bride’s first night, the servants tending to the room must be from the husband’s side…”
Wen Shuse was stunned. Is there a rule like that?
“Madam, why not put the fan down now…”
Wen Shuse quickly leaned back, dodging Nanny Fang’s line of sight. “I’m not tired.”
But doubt still gnawed at her. Aunt Qing had been more nervous than she was the whole way here. Could she really be at ease enough to leave her like this?
As it turned out, both Aunt Qing and Qiuying had indeed been “properly arranged.” A table full of fine wine and rich dishes sat before them but behind a locked door.
Those damned kidnappers had dragged them here without explanation, saying politely, “Please rest here, Aunt and Miss. There’s no need to worry about Madam.”
No one knew where they were, but it was clearly some remote, deserted place.
Aunt Qing had screamed herself hoarse, but not a soul answered.
Qiuying was still shaking the door panel with all her might, shouting, “Is anyone there? Somebody, please!” Her arms were growing tired, and when she looked back at Aunt Qing, whose face was pale and drawn, her own lips began to tremble. She was on the verge of tears. “Aunt, what should we do? By now, Second Miss and the Third Young Master have probably already finished the wedding ceremony… and Second Miss doesn’t even know the truth yet…”
The reminder reignited Aunt Qing’s fury. “People’s hearts are hidden in their bellies. The Xie family is supposed to be a noble family, yet look at the shameless tricks they’ve pulled…”
Qiuying didn’t dare to respond. Their own side hadn’t exactly been honest, either. After a brief hesitation, she offered, “Why don’t we just tell them the truth? That it’s Second Young Lady who’s here…”
At least if they came clean now, they could get Second Young Lady out safely.
“No.” Aunt Qing shot down the idea immediately. She had already thought it through. The Xie family clearly orchestrated this bride swap because they had their eye on the Eldest Young Lady’s sterling reputation.
If they found out ahead of time that it was actually the second young lady, who’s to say they wouldn’t fly into a rage on the spot and send her back unceremoniously? After that, they could cook up a reason to pin the blame on the Wen family. And then what? Not only would marrying into the Xie family be impossible, but the Second Young Lady would also bear the stigma of a rejected bride. She’d become the laughingstock of Zhongzhou’s Fengcheng, possibly entire of the empire, and her chances of ever marrying again would be ruined. The entire Wen family would lose face.
After thinking it through from every angle, Aunt Qing could see no way out except to swallow the bitter truth quietly for now.
“Poor Second Young Lady,” she murmured. “Once that fan is lowered and she sees the groom is someone else… who knows how she’ll react…”
Aunt Qing suddenly sat bolt upright as if a cold bucket of water had been dumped over her head. The Second Young Lady’s temper was far from ordinary.
No, she had to find a way to calm her down, explain things, calm her first.
She stood up again and joined Qiuying at the door. Together, they banged and shook it with renewed desperation, shouting, “Is anyone there?!” But the iron lock held fast. It didn’t budge an inch.
A maid who had been hiding just outside the carved window of the back wall stood there, utterly stunned. The shock on her face was as though she’d just stumbled upon a world-shattering secret. Her breath caught in her throat, and clutching the hem of her skirt, she hurried off in a panic toward Madam Wu’s courtyard.
Madam Wu was in the middle of a terrible toothache. She was already in a foul mood and found fault with everything and everyone. The entire room of attendants kept their heads low, not daring to speak, yet the blaring of suonas and gongs from outside slithered in any way, aggravating her even more.
Just as her irritation peaked, the maid burst into the room. “Madam!”
Madam Wu’s expression twisted with annoyance. “Storming in like that, what are you doing, rushing off to be reincarnated?”
The maid stepped back a few paces but couldn’t hold her tongue. Her eyes burned with urgency as she blurted, “Madam, this servant has discovered something… truly shocking.”
Madam Wu pressed a hand to her aching jaw and shot her a sideways glance.
The maid rushed forward, leaned down, and whispered something in her ear. Madam Wu’s pupils dilated violently. She whipped her head around. “Are you sure of what you heard?”
The maid bowed and answered with certainty, “Yes, Madam. I heard it clearly. The Wen family’s aunt and maid are still locked in that side room in the west courtyard.”
Madam Wu could hardly believe her ears, it felt like retribution had come faster than she’d ever dared imagine. For a moment, she was frozen in disbelief. Then, slowly, her expression settled into calm satisfaction, and a cold, pleased smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
It wasn’t Eldest Young Lady Wen.
It was the Second Young Lady.
Now, this was retribution.
Last night, that biased Old Madam played dead just to gather everyone around and start giving out her so-called “last wishes.” And just like that, she forcibly handed Eldest Young Master’s wedding to Third Young Master instead.
In all her years of living, Madam Wu had never seen such an unreasonable matriarch.
The Wen family’s eldest branch was now firmly established in the capital, and the head of the household held the steady position of Assistant Minister of Works. If Chengji were to marry Eldest Young Lady Wen and then go to the Eastern Capital, with a father-in-law like that backing him, how could he not gain a strong foothold?
But what could anyone do? The “last wishes” had already been spoken. Could the younger generation dare disobey?
She had to swallow that insult like broken teeth going down her throat, the resentment festering until it literally made her teeth ache. But heaven has eyes, after all. Human schemes were nothing against fate. Who would have thought the Wen family would pull a switch, too?
This was about to get exciting.
The speed of this karmic retribution sent a jolt of energy through Madam Wu. She turned to a servant beside her and asked, “Where’s the groom? Has he returned to the rear courtyard?”
The servant quickly went out to inquire and soon came back with a report, “Third Young Master was dragged back from the banquet table. He just entered the courtyard.”
Madam Wu glanced at the pitch-black sky outside. Even her toothache faded from her mind as she rose, waving at her entourage, voice brimming with excitement, “What are you all standing around for? Let’s go, this I have to see for myself!”