......
The night was long.
When I recall it now, I remember the sound of peanuts popping on the stove.
The crisp sound of "ba da."
......
"Pa pa pa, pa pa pa."
The Seventh Prince's Mansion was bustling with the sound of gongs and drums at the gate.
Today was the day the Seventh Prince was to marry his concubine.
The Emperor had bestowed her upon him, and since she was designated as a concubine, she couldn't be kept in the mansion without a proper ceremony.
If he disobeyed the order, the Emperor might think he harbored resentment.
Today was a joyous day for the Seventh Prince.
He had also invited his brothers.
And his cousin, the Second son of Jiang family.
The brothers all brought gifts, of course, none of them brought their wives.
After all, it was a concubine's wedding, bringing a wife would be too much of a compliment.
The Second son of Jiang family also came.
In fact, he was originally the younger brother of Jiang Yuluan, the Seventh Prince's wife.
Now he had become the Seventh Prince's cousin.
It seemed everyone was related somehow...
Anyway, the Second son of Jiang family thought the Seventh Prince was quite handsome, a rare sight of a tall and dignified man.
He had a straightforward smile.
His speech was also very amiable.
But he just didn't like him.
There was a natural aversion.
Without any reason.
But Jiang Changtian still accepted the invitation.
To dislike someone, either stay away from them or bury them.
Jiang Changtian chose the latter.
After all, he couldn't stay away, being related, he could only be a filial cousin and start planning for his cousin's future.
......
The Seventh Prince's Mansion was located in a rather remote part of the Capital City.
The Emperor disliked someone, and it would show in every aspect. Even without the Emperor's direct involvement, his subordinates would understand and even overinterpret his intentions.
So the location of the Seventh Prince's Mansion was very remote.
Even to the edge of the city, backed by a mountain.
Others thought it was too remote.
Jiang Changtian, however, thought the location was excellent, with a mountain and a river behind it, no better place in the entire Capital City.
And yet, everyone only saw how remote it was.
Because it was remote, the estate was larger, probably not in violation of any rules.
A good person might just sigh and say, "What a big place."
A bad person like Jiang Changtian would be angry, thinking it was too cunning and deceitful, even more so than himself.
As the gongs and drums of the Seventh Prince's Mansion rang out, a row of girls came out to light lanterns.
They were well-trained.
The Fifth Prince was rolling his prayer beads, stingy as he was, he didn't even prepare a Buddhist scripture today, only offering a golden piece of advice: "Seventh Brother, the Buddha says, the bond between husband and wife is the result of three lifetimes of karma, accumulated over many lives. Don't indulge in beauty."
Jiang Yuluan had always disliked the Fifth Prince, thinking he was stingy and superstitious.
But this time, gritting her teeth, she went out to greet him, and when she heard the Fifth Prince's words, her tears almost fell.
But see the new bride smile, and hear the old bride cry.
As the Seventh Prince's wife, Jiang Yuluan, who had grown up with Princess Huiyun, was indeed very presentable.
She was beautiful and dignified, her actions were straightforward and comfortable, not the typical image of a woman confined to the inner chambers.
Although she was getting older, she appeared very young, probably because she had never had children.
The Seventh Prince was shocked by his fifth brother's words. Although the Fifth Prince was obsessed with Buddhism, it didn't stop him from having many beauties in his mansion. This advice, others could give, but not the Fifth Prince, whose mansion was run by his concubine, and his wife, like him, now spent her days chanting scriptures.
You can't hit a smiling face, even though the Fifth Prince was very annoying, the Seventh Prince endured it and humbly accepted the advice.
The Sixth Prince, after the last earthquake, felt a bit regretful for his poor performance, wondering why he had instinctively dodged, hmm!
But the Emperor had bestowed a palace maid on the Seventh Prince, so he went back and had her background investigated.
He wanted to see if there was anything he could use against her, but after investigating, he found that the palace maid seemed to be the Emperor's person. The Emperor probably didn't trust the Seventh Prince either, and the Sixth Prince wondered if there were any of the Emperor's people in his own mansion.
The Sixth Prince sent a pomegranate gem flower as a gift.
Jiang Yuluan was a bit unhappy, when she got married, the Sixth Prince also gave her a pomegranate gem flower.
The other princes sent gifts through their representatives.
Old Nine personally came, bringing a red coral, quite valuable.
Jiang Changtian also brought a gift, wishing for a hundred years of harmony, he gave a basket of coarse grains, symbolizing a bountiful harvest and many children.
This is what the common people would give as a wedding gift.
Jiang Changtian also gave this.
Openly in front of Jiang Yuluan, he said: "I wish my Seventh Brother a hundred years of harmony and many children."
There was no way, after all, he had accidentally killed the Seventh Prince's son, reducing their family by one member, so this blessing had to be given.
When Jiang Yuluan saw Jiang Changtian, she felt a bit complicated.
Half of her childhood memories were of her mother, and half were of Princess Huiyun.
The princess had been very good to her, and even her marriage had benefited from the princess.
Her mother, however, had replaced the princess's son.
She had taken the princess's child but not treated him well.
Jiang Yuluan felt a bit embarrassed to see Jiang Changtian.
He still bore the surname Jiang and hadn't changed his name.
Her mother was also dead, dying miserably in prison, and had received her retribution.
No matter what, that was still her mother.
And the person in front of her was also her mother's murderer.
Jiang Changtian didn't speak to Jiang Yuluan.
Jiang Yuluan didn't speak to him either.
It was already very awkward for the princess to host her husband's concubine's wedding, Jiang Yuluan was very upset, feeling unwell, but she didn't want to fall ill and be looked down upon by her sisters-in-law.
She had always been proud because she had grown up with Princess Huiyun, so her personality was a bit arrogant, and she didn't get along well with her sisters-in-law.
The Seventh Prince had always treated her very well, and she had sneered at her sisters-in-law's suggestions of finding concubines for their husbands.
At that time, she was also a person who loved passionately and fiercely.
She had always aligned herself with Princess Huiyun.
But now.
Life had worn down her pride, and she even generously arranged the banquet for her husband's concubine's wedding.
It was a small family banquet, the Seventh Prince didn't hold a grand banquet, just inviting his brothers.
No ministers sent gifts, the Seventh Prince was very cautious.
As they walked towards the mansion, they could see that the servants in the Seventh Prince's Mansion were very well-trained.
The Sixth Prince thought the Seventh Prince was indeed very cunning.
He always acted as if his wife couldn't manage affairs, naive and romantic, just needing to love.
Making everyone think the Seventh Prince's Mansion must be in chaos.
But the mansion was orderly and well-managed, the Seventh Prince's wife was quite wronged.
The Seventh Prince was really interesting, always using his wife as a topic.
Actually, the Sixth Prince was a bit mistaken about the Seventh Prince. Sometimes the mansion was a bit chaotic, the Seventh Prince was very relaxed with Jiang Yuluan, and for decades he had been saying he loved his wife, and he believed it himself.
Now the mansion was like this, partly because of Jiang Yuluan's niece, Jiang Wan, also known as the Immortal Liu. Such a young girl, unexpectedly, really had a way with managing a place, even though she was just a guest.
And also because of the new concubine, the palace maid Song He, who was well-trained and had been the Emperor's secretary, managing a mansion was more than enough for her. After all, in the palace, competing for a position in front of the Emperor was a fierce battle, and her work ability was very strong.
The Seventh Prince treated her as a subordinate, and she continued as before.
She was very self-aware, the Seventh Prince said he loved the princess, and marrying her was just to appease the Emperor, making her understand her position.
Song He was very clear, treating herself as a nanny.
She was familiar with the job and continued to manage affairs.
But the Seventh Prince's wife, Jiang Yuluan, felt that this time was different, she felt threatened.
Not to mention how the Seventh Prince soothed her.
In the end, the brothers ate, drank, and chatted happily.
Jiang Changtian even thought the Seventh Prince was too deep.
He knew it was him who had killed his second son, yet he was still calling him cousin affectionately, even though he had sent people to kill him before, and sent so many people, when he was nothing at all.
So casually, he had sent so many people, then how many actual people did the Seventh Prince really have, it was unfathomable, probably just a drop in the ocean.
To deal with a small fry like himself, he had so many people.
Too terrifying.
Jiang Changtian was on high alert.
At this moment, the Seventh Prince's expression was very amiable, looking like he was drunk, holding his hand and calling him cousin.
Then he kept mentioning Jiang Yuluan, and was supported by the servants to the bridal chamber, calling out Jiang Yuluan's name all the way, going to the princess's room.
In the concubine's room, Song He in her pink bridal gown.
Sat calmly, waiting until it was quiet outside, she took off her outer clothes, her head cover, washed up, and lay down.
Lying perfectly flat.
She slept peacefully, her hands resting on her chest, like a serene corpse.
...
