Why was everyone saying that Minister Cui was marrying off his daughter, yet they had to go to the Cui Manor for the wedding feast?
The reason was that this happy occasion in the Cui family was a son-in-law recruitment ceremony.
The bride was named Cui Ying. A Mei had met her once during the winter hunt with her husband and Emperor Chengde one winter day, and she recalled the memory for a moment before speaking in a clear, crisp voice, "I met that Miss Cui last time. She is so quiet and gentle, anyone can tell she is a girl of great fortune at a glance."
The carriage rolled slowly along the street. An Sheng let out a soft laugh at her words, "My lady, you speak like such a grown-up. Have you forgotten that you are actually the exact same age as her? You are both just young girls."
A Mei rolled her eyes at him, looking utterly unconvinced. "That's not the same at all!"
"Then tell me, my lady, how is it not the same?"
A Mei said with a perfectly serious look, "When I first came to your side, I really was a little girl who knew nothing. But now I have been married to you for so long. You have protected me, guided me, and we have gone through so many things together. I know I am no match for her when it comes to the arts of qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, but there must be things I understand better than her in other areas. Of course we are not the same, don't you agree, husband?"
An Sheng looked down and chuckled, his slender eyes curving gently, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyes, and the corners of his lips lifting in a smile as warm as spring breeze. "Yes, my lady is absolutely right."
A Mei stared blankly at An Sheng, feeling that her husband's smile at this moment was so gentle, so breathtakingly charming. She liked it so much, so very much, that she did not even want to tear her eyes away.
"Whoa--"
The carriage came to a sudden halt.
A Mei finally blinked, and could not help but whisper softly, "Husband, you look so handsome when you smile."
An Sheng's smile deepened. "Do I?"
"Yes! Oh, husband, we are here. Let's get off quickly."
The steward in charge of greeting guests had spotted the An Manor's carriage from afar and already sent someone to the garden to fetch Master and Madam Cui.
The moment the couple stepped down from the carriage hand in hand, they saw the smiling Madam Cui dragging the glum-faced Lord Cui coming over to welcome them.
"Oh, Lord An, Madam An, what distinguished guests! Come in, please, come right in!"
"Madam Cui, Lord Cui, congratulations to you both!"
A Mei exchanged a few polite pleasantries with Madam Cui, and the atmosphere was perfectly warm and cordial.
But the same could not be said for Cui Gudao and An Sheng, who were standing right behind their wives...
It was Madam Cui who jabbed Cui Gudao hard in the elbow, smiling warmly at the guests while turning her head to glare at her husband, speaking through gritted teeth, "Master! What happened to the proper hospitality you promised..."
Cui Gudao huffed heavily. He stared at An Sheng, whose face wore a faint, knowing smile with unflappable composure, and felt a surge of anger rush to his head. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself down, then arched his hands in greeting to An Sheng, his tone icy and distant. "It is my greatest honor to have Lord An grace us with his presence. Please, come inside and have a cup of wedding wine."
An Sheng let out a cold snort, the corner of his mouth lifting in a mocking smirk, his deep dark eyes holding no trace of warmth. He was just about to speak, when A Mei gently nudged his elbow against his chest.
An Sheng looked down and saw his wife grinning brightly up at him. A Mei blinked at him once, then twice, and whispered quietly through gritted teeth, "Husband, it's a big happy day. Say something nice, okay?"
An Sheng's brows softened a little, and his smile widened. When he lifted his eyes to look at Cui Gudao again, he seemed to be wearing a perfectly warm and genial smile. He said slowly, "Lord Cui is far too modest. As a Second Rank official, how could I, a mere Third Rank official, presume to accept such words? It is only right that I should come to pay my respects to you. Besides, this is your beloved daughter's wedding, such a joyous occasion. Of course I had to come and ask for a cup of wedding wine. Thank you so much for your kind hospitality, Lord Cui."
As he spoke, he gave a slight signal, and Wu Da, who was standing behind him, stepped forward to present the wedding gift.
"The Cui Manor is very busy today. Lord Cui and Madam Cui, please go attend to your other guests. There is no need to worry about us being poorly entertained. My wife and I are easy-going, friendly people, very agreeable to be around. We can look after ourselves perfectly well."
Cui Gudao: ...
A Mei chimed in right on cue, "Yes, yes! Lord Cui, Madam Cui, go on and get busy, don't mind us at all!"
Cui Gudao: ...
A Mei watched Cui Gudao hurry away with his wife, then tugged her husband's arm happily as they walked into the Cui Manor.
The moment she stepped through the door, she gasped in admiration, "Wow, it's so beautiful!" Red silk ribbons and lanterns hung everywhere in sight, making the whole place glow with festive, vibrant cheer.
But the moment the two of them walked in, the entire hall went visibly quiet. To say the least, wherever An Sheng and A Mei went, no one dared come within ten paces of them.
Many of the guests present today were court officials.
The moment they saw Commander An, the first thought that crossed their minds was that this man had not come to offer his congratulations, but to pick a fight.
However, when they saw An Sheng take his wife to their seats and calmly start helping himself to the food and wine, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, they could not help but start whispering to themselves, wondering when Lord An and Minister Cui had gotten on such good terms. For a moment, all the people sitting at the same table exchanged glances, each with unspoken, meaningful thoughts running through their heads.
In the end, they all reached the same unanimous conclusion in their hearts.
This Minister Cui was really something else.
"Husband, that Miss Cui's wedding robe is so beautiful!"
"This is the first time I have ever attended a recruitment of a son-in-law wedding ceremony. The groom is truly a man of outstanding appearance. Look how happy Madam Cui is, this son-in-law must be exactly to her liking!"
"Husband, since they are taking in a son-in-law, if they have children in the future, will the children take the father's surname or the mother's surname?"
On the way back home, A Mei chattered nonstop.
"Naturally, the children will take the surname Cui. Cui Gudao has no sons, only two daughters. The eldest daughter is already married, and the youngest daughter has a soft, gentle temperament. By taking in a son-in-law to keep his youngest daughter by their side, he has hit two birds with one stone."
A Mei let out a sound of understanding.
Then she heard her husband ask, "My lady, do you like that wedding robe that much?"
A Mei blinked. "Of course I do! It was so beautiful."
All of a sudden, An Sheng pulled A Mei right into his arms. He paused for a moment, recalling all the details of their wedding night, then looked down steadily at the woman in his embrace and said softly, "Back then, when you married into this family, I made you suffer wrongfully."
Suffer wrongfully? A Mei did not understand at first.
Their eyes met. A Mei looked into her husband's deep eyes, full of tender pity and clear regret, and finally realized what he meant. Her heart filled with warmth. She smiled sweetly at him, wrapped her arms around his neck of her own accord, and said softly, "Oh, what are you thinking about, husband? Our wedding was different from theirs. I would never compare the two. Besides, aren't we doing perfectly well now?"
An Sheng gazed down at her, deep affection hidden in his soft features. Then he slowly tightened his arms, pulling her closer and closer into his embrace until there was no gap left between them. "Yes. It is more than perfect."
"Ah, husband, not so tight! I can't breathe."
An Sheng loosened his hold just a little, then buried his face in the curve of her slender neck and took a deep breath. "My lady... how about we give you a proper, brand new wedding night to make up for the old one?"
A Mei: ?
A Mei: !
A Mei: ......
