Stillness and silence settled around them, though occasionally there would come bursts of loud laughter. This was probably Tianning Country's first time seeing a new bride being told to come back tomorrow, it would likely never happen again in the past or future!
The crowd was laughing. Even in the group of people that had delivered the bride, there were a few who couldn't resist a snicker. It really was the first time something like this had happened. Inside the bridal sedan, the calm, composed Han Yunxi finally narrowed her eyes. The Duke of Qin's household had really gone too far!
Nanny Wang was crestfallen as she returned, sighing and disappointed. "Aiya, how unlucky. I've been a wedding nanny for so many years but I've never seen something like this! Let's hurry up and go, quickly, go back!"
Yet just as the sedan bearers lifted her carriage, Han Yunxi spoke up.
"Hold it!"
Eh…who talked?
The crowd stilled and looked around, but couldn't find the speaker.
"Nanny Wang, I'd like to trouble you to ask at what time tomorrow we should arrive?" When Han Yunxi spoke again, her quiet tone was filled with a dignity that was hard to cross. Though her voice wasn't very loud, the crowd could clearly hear her.
In one second, all the onlookers turned disbelieving gazes towards the bridal sedan chair. Were these words really from Han Yunxi? Shouldn't she be secretly crying in such a situation? She actually dared to speak out, and so loudly as well?
"Nanny Wang, what are you dawdling for? Do you want this Miss to pile responsibility on you for taking us down the wrong path?" Han Yunxi's voice suddenly turned stern.
Nanny Wang hadn't expected this and was frightened. It had been the grand imperial concubine[1] who'd ordered her to take the wrong path. Of course the Duke of Qin's household wouldn't investigate the matter, but she couldn't bear the responsibility if the Han family did. If that happened, the grand imperial concubine wouldn't protect her at all.
How did this meek Han Yunxi suddenly turn so fierce?
Nanny Wang couldn't attend to too many details at once, but hastily replied, "Yes, yes! Eldest Miss, please wait a moment."
Knockknockknock! This time she pounded on the door none too gently. It was still the same old gatekeeper that opened them. "What are you doing? Don't you understand that we want you to come back tomorrow?"
"The bride asked what time tomorrow! Please trouble the grand imperial concubine with our question," Nanny Wang entreated kindly.
The old gatekeeper was astonished. This new bride was somewhat interesting. "All right, wait a while."
—
Within a pavilion in the back gardens of the duke's residence, Grand Imperial Concubine Yi[2] and a few royally appointed wives were playing mahjong. She'd totally set aside the issue of her new daughter-in-law. After the current emperor took his throne, the wives left behind by the previous emperor were all put to death or set to watch his tomb. Only the wives under Grand Concubine Yi were left untouched. Even the empress dowager had to yield a bit before her. Three years ago, she'd felt it was oppressive living in the palace and moved to her son's house instead.
A maidservant approached, lowering her head to speak by her ear. "Mistress, the new bride is asking what time tomorrow she should arrive?"
Grand Concubine Yi's hand stiffened in the middle of her play, whirling her head around. "Who did you say was asking?"
"The…the new bride," the maidservant replied in a low voice.
"What nerve!" Grand Concubine Yi was bewildered, but more engrossed in playing mahjong than the matter at hand. Casually she replied, "At Yǐ[3] hour, like before."
So what if she'd asked about the hour? When tomorrow came, they'd make her late again.
—
"Yǐ hour," Nanny Wang reported to the bridal sedan.
No one expected that Han Yunxi would reply with the three icy words: "Stay and wait." Quite a few people around them had sensed that something was off about this young Miss Han.
"What?" Nanny Wang raised her voice abruptly. "A new bride can't be like this. We can't block someone's gates, right? They'll laugh at us! No, this is no good, there's no such logic! What kind of person comes to a family's doorstep and waits to get married?"
"You're the one who said that we can't turn back. What now, you want to curse me to be divorced and returned to my home?" Han Yunxi asked coldly.
Weren't these Nanny Wang's own words?
"Those who can't wait can leave. If you can't get your wages after returning to the Han house, don't come looking for me." Han Yunxi reminded them helpfully.
The hired help looked at each other, not expecting the new bride to be so fierce. None dared to leave, but all sat down in place to wait with her together. Seeing that no one was backing her up, Nanny Wang could only settle down by the sedan chair. She had the irresistible urge to lift the hanging door curtains and see the new bride for herself. Was she really as ugly as the rumors said? And as cowardly and self-abasing? They didn't switch her with someone else, right?
After a moment's hesitation, Nanny Wang nervously reached out a hand…
-o-
[1] Grand Imperial Concubine (太妃) －taifei, in this case it refers to the concubine of the previous emperor and the mother of the Duke of Qin (Long Feiye). Will be referred to as "Grand Concubine Yi."
[2] Yi (宜) －surname of #1. Yi means "suitable, appropriate, fitting", or a negative version of "should, ought to."
[3] hour of Yǐ (已时) －yishi, which in Chinese time rests between 9~11AM.