No matter what Madam Zhu said next, Wu Caiwei would directly retort. She had come to be the mistress of Pingyuan, not to be humiliated.
Madam Zhu, accompanied by her servants, stormed out of Wu Caiwei's courtyard. She glanced back at the secluded little yard, gnashing her teeth in anger.
She felt that sending her away in the first place had been the most correct decision. If she had kept her by her side, she would have been infuriated to death.
In the afternoon, Zhou Xiangyu sent someone to invite her. Wu Caiwei unhurriedly dressed herself, conserved her energy, and decided to negotiate with him properly.
Zhou Xiangyu looked at his composed daughter and felt a tinge of regret. If he had brought her back earlier, cultivated her well, and sent her to the harem, the Zhou family would have undoubtedly prospered.
"Speak, what are your terms?" When speaking with a clever person, there was no need to beat around the bush. He looked at his daughter and asked directly.
"Master Zhou, you are indeed forthright. I require a dowry of fifty thousand taels of silver and a document severing family ties," Wu Caiwei quickly stated her objective. It was more interesting to speak with the head of the Zhou family.
Zhou Xiangyu had not expected this request from her. He raised an eyebrow and said unexpectedly, "You need to think carefully. Severing family ties is not a trifling matter. A woman without a maternal family is like a duckweed without roots. If you suffer grievances, no one will stand up for you."
"You don't need to worry about that. It's as if someone stands up for me when I suffer grievances," Wu Caiwei scoffed dismissively.
Zhou Xiangyu was about to say something, but then he thought about his current actions. Wasn't he precisely causing her to suffer grievances? The words he had on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.
When Madam Zhu and Xia Qing learned that their master was going to give her fifty thousand taels of silver as a dowry, they clutched their hearts in pain. They rushed to persuade their master, but this time, Zhou Xiangyu was determined to compensate his daughter, and no one could change his mind.
On the day of her wedding, Wu Caiwei, having not received the items, refused to cooperate, making the matchmaker jump with anxiety.
Madam Zhu, who had intended to embezzle the silver, reluctantly produced the items upon seeing the situation, her heart bleeding.
After obtaining the items, Wu Caiwei personally went to the yamen to register them before cooperating with their preparations for dressing and makeup.
This delay caused chaos in the manor. The more flustered they became, the more chaotic things got, and the less smoothly matters could proceed. By the auspicious hour, the wedding procession had arrived at the gate, but they were still doing makeup on this side.
Dissatisfied with the makeup, Wu Caiwei refused to budge, causing everyone to bow and plead with her. But she remained unhurried, pursuing perfection.
Zhou Xiangyu, kept in the dark, finally understood what was happening at this point. Seeing his wife as anxious as ants on a hot pan, he looked at her speechlessly. He had already given her the items and entrusted her with full authority. Truly, the older one gets, the more muddled one becomes, even withholding items belonging to one's own daughter.
Wu Caiwei watched their increasingly anxious expressions and secretly rejoiced. As the sun began to set, she finally emerged, satisfied. She instantly became the talk of the capital's streets and alleys. It was the first time in many years that a bride had married in the afternoon.
The Prime Minister and his wife's faces were almost contorted with anger. The guests attending that day were of high status, and even the Emperor had personally graced the occasion. By this hour, the bride had still not arrived, and everyone was hungry and unable to start the feast.
After an unknown period, the sound of firecrackers gradually approached. No matter how unhappy they were, it was still their youngest son's wedding day, so they forced themselves to put on a brave face.
The groom, Lin Zhanhong, was in poor health and had not made an appearance throughout. Everyone was accustomed to this.
The bride, amidst everyone's anticipation, entered the main hall alone. Just as the words "First bow to heaven and earth!" were spoken, Wu Caiwei, to everyone's astonishment, tore off her veil.
"Wait, I have something to say."
"Whatever you have to say, it can be said after the ceremonies are completed. How can you tear off your veil now? It's unbecoming!" The Prime Minister's wife was furious. She had met the Zhou family's second daughter before and agreed to the marriage because she found her gentle and beautiful.
Had she known she would be so inconsiderate of the overall situation, she would never have agreed to her son marrying her. After all, the Lin family had plenty of women eager to marry their son.
"This must be said now. Firstly, I am not the second daughter of the Zhou family. You might ask why I look identical to her. That is because I am her twin sister, the third daughter of the Zhou family. You haven't heard of me because I grew up in a nunnery since childhood." Wu Caiwei looked at everyone's astonished expressions, quite pleased with the effect she had created. Since the Zhou family dared to substitute one person for another, they had to bear the consequences.
"Since matters have come to this point, and you have already stepped into our Zhou family's door, then today you are marrying my son. You will be the fourth daughter-in-law of my Lin family." The lively wedding hall instantly fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. The Prime Minister's wife pondered for a moment and said firmly.
"Since the Prime Minister's mansion is so unconventional as not to question this matter, then I shall not be unreasonable and will state my demand: I want to see the groom." Wu Caiwei looked at them with disdain.
The Prime Minister's wife felt a pang in her heart, as if a knife were twisting in her chest. She forced back her tears, not letting them fall.
"My son is in poor health, and with so many people present today and so many matters to attend to, I fear it might affect his condition," the Prime Minister's wife said, trying her best to explain calmly, while under the watchful eyes of the princes and the Emperor, she suppressed her anger.
"I was forced into this marriage by the Zhou residence. If I do not see the groom today, I will commit suicide right here in front of all these guests." Wu Caiwei said fearlessly, ignoring the threatening glares of the Prime Minister's wife.
"I have already made so many concessions, and you are still not satisfied. Your Zhou family is bullying us too much. If this affects my son's important occasion of warding off evil spirits, and something happens to him, I will not let you off." The Prime Minister's wife shed tears, saying with a sob.
Seeing the disapproving expressions on everyone's faces, Wu Caiwei said in confusion, "I just want to see the groom. Is there anything wrong with that? Besides, can a wedding be completed by just one person? Furthermore, I have no other requests, just for him to show his face. On this joyous day, if he cannot walk, it's fine to carry him out. Why does it feel like I'm forcing you? Or is the news I received reliable, and the groom has already passed away? Is your Lin family deceiving me into marriage?"
The Prime Minister and his wife were aghast. "How is that possible? How can such a young girl have such a venomous heart, cursing my son? He is just seriously ill and unable to appear in public." The Prime Minister reacted first, questioning her urgently.
"You know in your hearts whether it is true or not. You call me venomous, but I think you are wicked. You intend to trick me into your family when the person has long been dead. Then everyone will surely say I am a jinx and shift all the blame onto me." Wu Caiwei revealed their scheme without mercy, leaving them no room for maneuver.
Seeing the crowd whispering and even the Emperor showing a doubtful expression, the Prime Minister and his wife secretly lamented, realizing that today's matter could not be resolved easily.
Just as they were at a loss for what to do, the butler suddenly ran from the back, crying, and shouted, "Master, Madam, bad news! Young master is gone."