Chapter Thirty-Eight (Part 1)
The crown prince and Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's wedding day was fated to be an auspicious day for some guests .
At the Yan Manor, the bride woke up early, wore her wedding dress and makeup .
'Mother, have you noticed father has been strange the last three days?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ting asked . 'He acts distant when I talk to him . '
'Perhaps he's busy with work,' Princess Kang Hua lied .
'Yes, you're right,' Yan s.h.i.+ Ting said .
At Pei Jin's manor, Yan s.h.i.+ Ning prepared the wedding gifts .
Pei Jin hugged Yan s.h.i.+ Ning . 'Wife, you need to be careful . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning kissed Pei Jin's lips . 'If I'm uncertain about the outcome then I won't act . '
Pei Jin nodded his head . 'I think seventh brother's people are prepared too . Let them expose Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's deceit so we can watch an amusing performance . If seventh brother acts out a plan, he won't be merciful . '
Night and day, Pei Jin cautioned Yan s.h.i.+ Ning enough to make her laugh helplessly . 'Pei Jin, when did you become a woman?'
Pei Jin rubbed his face on Yan s.h.i.+ Ning's neck . 'I'm scared my little lion will be scared if she sees fresh blood . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning felt Pei Jin's lips on her neck and pushed him away . 'Pei Jin, I know . Umm… don't take off my dress… it took me a long time to wear it… umm…'
Pei Jin pouted his lips . He didn't get to eat Yan s.h.i.+ Ning but she got to hit him . 'Wife, you don't even let me touch you . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning wanted to vomit blood . 'If you want someone to touch then you can marry a second wife . '
Pei Jin rubbed his chin and nodded his head . 'That's a good sugges-'
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning kicked Pei Jin's leg . 'Pei Jin, do you dare?'
Pei Jin laughed . He knew it was nearly time for the wedding so he adjusted Yan s.h.i.+ Ning's dress . 'Wife, be careful inside the palace and at the Yan Manor . I'm worried Princess Kang Hua found out about the plan . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning nodded her head .
'Remember today we need to perform well inside the palace,' Pei Jin said .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning pinched Pei Jin's ear . 'I know . '
Pei Jin escorted Yan s.h.i.+ Ning to the horse carriage . Afterward he instructed Xiao Hui and Xiao Zai . 'Protect my wife and be weary of the princess . '
'Yes ninth prince,' Xiao Hui and Xiao Zai promised .
Unfortunately Pei Jin was the groom's brother and needed to wait at the palace for the bride while Yan s.h.i.+ Ning was the bride's sister and needed to go to the Yan Manor and escort the bride to the palace .
The moment Yan s.h.i.+ Ning arrived at the Yan Manor, she saw Yan Jing was welcoming guests . Her heart laughed coldly at the fake smile on Yan Jing's face .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning remembered a few days ago after she gave the letter to Yan Jing she returned home and asked Pei Jin to send Xiao Zai to eavesdrop at the Yan Manor .
Pei Jin confided in Yan s.h.i.+ Ning that Xiao Zai had a special talent for eavesdropping . She didn't believe Pei Jin until Xiao Zai returned to the manor and reported Yan Jing and Princess Kang Hua's conversation without omitting anything . Also, Xiao Zai had a special talent of mimicking other people's voices . She was impressed after hearing Xiao Zai mimicked Yan Jing and Princess Kang Hua's voices .
Yan Jing spotted Yan s.h.i.+ Ning, he smiled gratefully at her and escorted her to the bride's courtyard .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning kindly reminded Yan Jing to 'remember to rest' then she walked toward the bride's chamber .
On the way to Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's chamber, Yan s.h.i.+ Ning saw Princess Kang Hua in the courtyard and she smiled politely .
Princess Kang Hua straightened her back and looked wearily at Yan s.h.i.+ Ning . She didn't understand why Yan s.h.i.+ Ning used to lower her head and didn't dare to look at her but suddenly Yan s.h.i.+ Ning dared to look at her on Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's wedding day . It was Yan s.h.i.+ Ning's eyes that looked like a hunter staring at a prey that made her wearier . The longer Yan s.h.i.+ Ning looked at her the more she thought about the young beggars, the two letters, Yan Jing and who was the mysterious person behind everything .
Princess Kang Hua remembered what old nurse maid reported to her .
'Who did master meet that day?' Princess Kang Hua asked . 'Why did he remember his suspicions about Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's ident.i.ty?'
'Someone saw ninth prince's wife visited master that day,' old nurse maid said .
Suddenly Princess Kang Hua felt breathless in front of Yan s.h.i.+ Ning . She raised her chin and quickly walked past Yan s.h.i.+ Ning .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning smiled while she watched Princess Kang Hua poorly hide fear .
End of Chapter Thirty-Eight (Part 1)
Chapter Thirty-Eight (Part 2 of 2)'It's little sister's wedding day,' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning said . 'I'm your big sister of course I need to be here . Today little sister is beautiful . The crown prince will be insanely happy to see you . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ting was happy to hear Yan s.h.i.+ Ning praised her beauty . But she frowned to hear the crown prince's name mentioned . She didn't know why the crown prince hadn't delivered wedding gifts to her yet .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning poured two cups of tea and crushed a pill into one of the cups while no was looking at her .
'Little sister, drink tea,' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning said . 'Later you'll be too busy to drink . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ting was thirsty . Her mother didn't let her drink earlier so she accepted the cup of tea and drank it .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning smiled, drank half a cup of tea and emptied the other half into a vase .
Two days ago Yan s.h.i.+ Ning received the pills from Bei Dou .
'Big brother Bei, do you have medicine that causes a person stomach to hurt?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning asked .
'Yes,' Bei Dou said and showed Yan s.h.i.+ Ning some identical pills .
'Do I crush the pills?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning asked .
'That's right,' Bei Dou said .
'Big brother Bei, can you give me these pills?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning asked .
'Alright,' Bei Dou said and pa.s.sed the pills to Yan s.h.i.+ Ning .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning tested one of the pills on herself . Less than half a s.h.i.+chen hour later her stomach ached and she rushed to the toilet .
After Yan s.h.i.+ Ning's legs wobbled from squatting for a long time she returned to Bei Dou's chamber .
'Big brother, what pills did you give me earlier?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning asked .
'Laxatives,' Bei Dou said .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning and her stomach were speechless while Bei Dou was curious why Yan s.h.i.+ Ning wanted laxatives .
Finally the bride and the bridal's family arrived at the palace . The crown prince smiled coldly but Pei Jin smiled happily like he did on his and Yan s.h.i.+ Ning's wedding day .
Pei Jin watched Yan s.h.i.+ Ning helped the bride into the ceremonial hall and reminisced about their wedding day .
After Yan s.h.i.+ Ning escorted Yan s.h.i.+ Ting to the crown prince, she stood next to Pei Jin and he whispered in her ear . 'Wife, tonight let's have a wedding night too . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning smiled like a gentle lady and she stepped on Pei Jin's foot . Then she turned her head and smiled at the anxious Princess Kang Hua .
The emperor and the empress sat on the highest platform . The emperor refrained from frowning while the empress smiled happily .
Pei Zhang wanted to rest but it was the crown prince's wedding day so he attended the wedding and acted weak next to the happy Consort Mu .
Consort Mu looked at Pei Wen Cai who sat on her lap . 'Wen Cai, do you remember what grandmother told you?'
Pei Wen Cai was busy glaring at Pei Khan who sat opposite her . 'Yes, grandmother . '
Pei Khan didn't notice Pei Wen Cai, he was waving his chubby hand at Yan s.h.i.+ Ning . Then he patted the seat next to him to signal Yan s.h.i.+ Ning to sit next to him .
Everyone behaved like their usual selves but their eyes were focused on the crown prince and Yan s.h.i.+ Ting .
'It is the auspicious hour,' the ceremonial minister said . 'The groom and bride, bow to the heavens, your elders and to each other . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ting bowed to the heavens and to the elders . But her stomach ached a lot . After bowing to the crown prince, she collapsed on the floor .
The ceremonial hall immediately became chaotic .
Consort Mu exchanged a shocked look with seventh prince… their plan was to let Pei Wen Cai accidently fall onto Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's dress, Consort Mu would help Pei Wen Cai up and throw blood onto Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's wedding dress then Consort Mu would ask for an imperial physician to check if Yan s.h.i.+ Ting had a miscarriage . The imperial physician that day was one of their allies and would have reported to the emperor that Yan s.h.i.+ Ting wasn't pregnant .
Consort Mu and seventh prince didn't act out their plan but Yan s.h.i.+ Ting fell on her own .
Consort Mu rushed to Yan s.h.i.+ Ting, discreetly threw blood on Yan s.h.i.+ Ting's dress and helped Yan s.h.i.+ Ting stand .
'What happened?' the emperor asked .
The empress panicked . 'I… I… I…'
'Blood, blood!' Pei Khan cried out and pointed at the blood stain on the floor .
Everyone's eyes looked at the spot Pei Khan was pointing to .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ting stood, her veil fell on the floor and she endured her stomach ache . But her body stiffened after she heard blood… the blood was on the spot she fell on earlier .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ting was scared her step-aunt arrived . She looked at the back of her dress and her face whitened at the blood stain on her dress .
'Ah!' Consort Mu cried out . 'There's blood on the bride's dress . Where's the imperial physician?'
The emperor's face darkened, he was worried his unborn grandchild returned to the heavens .
'Hurry, someone bring an imperial physician here!' the emperor ordered .
Short Side Story One
On a cool day, Pei Jin was smiling while watching little Fei sleeping peacefully in a cot . Little Fei's lips were pouting like little Fei was dreaming about drinking milk . It reminded Pei Jin of a past incident at the Yan Manor .
Pei Jin walked out into the courtyard where Yan s.h.i.+ Ning was sitting on a swing and eating a peach .
's.h.i.+ Ning, do you believe in testing blood relations using drops of blood and a bowl of water?' Pei Jin asked .
'I believe it's true,' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning said . 'Isn't that's how blood relations were tested in the past?'
Pei Jin nodded his head and smiled at Yan s.h.i.+ Ning . 'Little lion, let's see if the test is true . '
'Pei Jin, what do you want to do?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning asked suspiciously .
A while later, little Fei was awake and crying loudly .
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning's heart ached . She carried little Fei in her arms and consoled little Fei .
'MF Pei Jin, how can you do this to little Fei?' Yan s.h.i.+ Ning asked .
Pei Jin and Yan s.h.i.+ Ning watched little Fei's blood dropped into a bowl of water… little Fei's blood didn't merge with the other drop of blood .
Pei Jin and Yan s.h.i.+ Ning were shocked .
'Yan-s.h.i.+-Ning!' Pei Jin cried out . 'Wife, confess!'
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning knocked the bowl of water out of Pei Jin's hand . 'MF Pei Jin! What are you implying?'
Pei Jin hugged Yan s.h.i.+ Ning . 'Wife, don't be angry . I was teasing you . '
Yan s.h.i.+ Ning was too angry to speak anymore .
After that cool day, Pei Jin was banished to the calligraphy room for half a month . He was starved enough for his eye bags to swell and he secretly wrote on a wall, 'don't believe in testing blood relations with drops of blood and a bowl of water!'
Short Interview One
Su Xing Yue: Xiao Jin, you truly didn't suspect Xiao Ning?
Pei Jin: I trust s.h.i.+ Ning isn't that kind of person .
Su Xing Yue: Why are you certain?
Pei Jin: I roll around with my wife day and night . How can she have time to let me wear a headgear of a fool?
Su Xing Yue: …
End of Chapter Thirty-Eight (Part 2 of 2)
