At this moment, Aunt Hui had already inserted the last pearl flower into Ruyun’s hair bun. She took a step back, observed this dignified bride before her, and sighed: "The bride is truly a national beauty, the second young master is very lucky."
Her amiable smile seemed to make the recent unpleasant conversation feel like a mere illusion.
Shang Ruyi smiled calmly and said: "Aunt Hui exaggerated."
Aunt Hui said: "In a little while, the second young master will come to fetch the bride, Miss Ruyi please wait quietly, I will take my leave now."
After speaking, she turned and left the room.
Watching her back disappear outside the door, the smile on Shang Ruyi’s face gradually faded, revealing a grave expression.
After the marriage was settled, the words Yu said to her echoed again in her ears—
"You refused marriage to the eldest young master, and now remarrying to the second young master, people over there will inevitably have opinions about you; and that Aunt Hui treats the eldest young master like her own, behind her is the family of the eldest young master, the pros and cons of which cannot be explained clearly in a few words, you must handle your relationship with them carefully."
It seems that Yu’s concerns were now laid before her.
And what Aunt Hui just said—some close people and matters, what does it mean?
Was she reminding herself to see through something?
At this moment, Tushere walked up to her side, pouting and said: "Miss, she was too rude."
"Even as an elder, she is after all just a servant of the Duke Mansion, how dare she speak to you !"
Shang Ruyi steadied herself and said solemnly: "She is not an ordinary servant."
"She’er, you must also understand, the Duke Mansion is not the same as our Shen Mansion, the Duke holds high rank and weight in the court, there are all kinds of tangled forces around him, and Aunt Hui is the most difficult to deal with."
Tushere thought for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Miss means, her original master—the Dong Family?"
Shang Ruyi said: "She still calls Mrs. Dong the grand madam, it proves she fundamentally doesn’t regard the current madam, my mother-in-law, highly. She dares to do this, firstly because of the Duke’s feelings for Mrs. Dong; secondly because she has raised the eldest young master; thirdly, the most important point is—the Dong Family."
"The Dong Family and the official family both come from Dingchuan Military Town, they have extraordinary power, their relationship with the Duke is not something we can easily clarify."
Tushere gasped and exclaimed: "This, this is too troublesome."
Shang Ruyi smiled bitterly and said: "From today onwards, every day in the Duke Mansion, you must be careful and pay attention to everything, don’t act like you did at home."
Tushere nodded earnestly and said: "I understand, my lady!"
After she spoke, she picked up a fan from the side and handed it to Shang Ruyi, then like she was sighing, said: "Had I known marrying would be this troublesome, Miss might as well stay at home."
Shang Ruyi laughed and said: "What nonsense, what girl can stay at home all her life without getting married?"
Tushere said: "I’m not talking nonsense, before departure, I heard madam cry several times to the master about not wanting you to marry far away, afraid miss will suffer grievances outside; she also said, knowing this she would have simply canceled your marriage, willing to raise you forever."
Upon hearing this, though somewhat amusing, Shang Ruyi’s heart filled with a surge of sadness.
Her uncle and aunt treated her so well.
She took a deep breath and said solemnly: "Stop the nonsense, because uncle and aunt treat me so well, that’s why I must—must become Yu Wenye’s wife!"
Tushere was stunned: "Why?"
Just as she spoke, a burst of loud sounds of gongs and drums rose from outside!
Shang Ruyi suddenly raised her head and looked out the window—