As June arrived, the weather grew increasingly hot.
Wang Qingyao was ordered to stay indoors and embroider her wedding dress.
Of course, embroidering a wedding dress was a general term.
The Great Sheng Dynasty had a developed economy, and few young ladies embroidered their own wedding dresses anymore.
Shops specializing in wedding attire were everywhere, and each dress was more exquisite than the last.
Moreover, Wang Qingyao was marrying a prince, and her wedding dress would be prepared by the Ministry of Rites.
In mid-June, the wedding dress was sent for her to try on for size.
There were three sets in total. The grand ceremonial robe worn during the rites was the most magnificent, with five layers inside and out, weighing six jin. Coupled with the phoenix coronet worn by the princess consort, she felt it was highly likely she would suffer heatstroke and faint on her wedding day.
Wang Qingyao was primarily compelled to embroider items like shoes, socks, forehead bands, and sachets, which were gifts to be presented to elders on the second day after the wedding.
She had no talent for needlework. Seeing her struggle and her work being too ugly to bear, Nian Momo had no choice but to have Zhizi and Yin Zhu take over. Wang Qingyao only symbolically stitched a few stitches.
Nian Momo worried about her, thinking that if she couldn't even manage needlework, she might displease her mother-in-law after marrying into the Ding'an Prince's Mansion.
Wang Qingyao thought to herself: her mother-in-law already disliked her.
---
Although Wang Qingyao was forbidden from leaving the house, truthfully, with no parental supervision, Bai Shi sent to the countryside, and the Old Madam unwilling to bother with her, no one could stop her if she wished to go out.
She stayed in purely because the weather was too hot, the sun too fierce, and she felt too lazy to move.
Xiao Yun sent gifts of welfare every few days, such as sweet melons, white peaches, and papayas. According to custom, they were also not to see each other for a month before their wedding.
Entertainment was scarce in ancient times, so Wang Qingyao dug out "The Secret History of Tragic Love in the Inner Palace" from her cabinet and studied it again.
She had been kidnapped twice, and both incidents were inextricably linked to this novel. What secret did this novel hide?
She had written the novel herself, so there was no secret.
Were Wei Taishi's men relentless because they thought she knew some secret?
Wang Qingyao read "The Secret History of Tragic Love in the Inner Palace" over and over again. Combined with the two interrogations by Steward Ji, a bold idea formed in her mind, making her want to find Xiao Yun to discuss it thoroughly.
Such a significant matter could not be entrusted to a lightning-fast messenger. They had to meet in person.
She didn't believe the saying that if they saw each other a month before marriage, they would argue every day after.
But she knew that the more she valued and adhered to this custom, the happier Xiao Yun would be.
Well, if the boss was happy, she was happy.
Thus, she dismissed the idea of meeting.
---
Bai Junya now resided in Old Madam Wang's Rongtang Courtyard and would come to chat with Wang Qingyao daily. They had become a little more familiar than before.
She presented Wang Qingyao with a box of jewelry as a betrothal gift. Even the box was an exquisite mother-of-pearl inlaid red lacquer box, filled to the brim with jewelry, exuding immense generosity.
"It's too valuable," Wang Qingyao refused to accept.
She recalled from novels that young ladies would gift a hairpin or a pair of earrings, not such an abundance.
Bai Junya was older than Wang Qingyao and had the demeanor of an elder sister. Her eyes were gentle, and her words were soft.
Her gentleness was not the fake kind of a "green tea" girl, but a genuine softness that emanated from her core, making Wang Qingyao feel comfortable in her presence.
Wang Qingyao's quarters were different from others. When the mistress entertained guests, the maids would wait outside the door and not serve in the room. They would only enter when summoned.
Seeing no one else in the room, Bai Junya lowered her voice and said, "Compared to what sister Yao did for me, it's not valuable at all."
Wang Qingyao didn't react for a moment.
What had she done?
"That time I was drugged by Bai Junchen..."
Wang Qingyao showed a look of surprise: "How did you know?"
Bai Junya gave a bitter smile: "In my daze, I saw Zhizi's face. Why would Bai Junya want to ruin my reputation and leave me by a tree where someone might pass by at any moment?"
"I see," Wang Qingyao said, "It was just a small gesture."
"Your small gesture changed my life."
Wang Qingyao's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her voice: "Do you already have someone you love? Are you unwilling to marry my cousin?"
Bai Junya's face flushed. With a mixture of shyness and urgency, she said, "No, I... I am willing to marry him." She became even more shy and added, "What I mean is, if it weren't for you, I would have either hanged myself with a white silk ribbon or become a concubine to that old man."
Wang Qingyao only heard the first part and teased with a smile, "Ah, so you are willing to marry my cousin!"
Bai Junya couldn't stand being teased and her face turned as red as if it were about to bleed.
Ancient people valued subtlety and restraint; how could Wang Qingyao be so direct?
Bai Junya pushed the box into Wang Qingyao's arms and made as if to leave. Wang Qingyao quickly stopped her and said with a smile, "Good sister, I was wrong, I won't tease you anymore. I'll accept the gift, thank you."
Bai Junya liked Wang Qingyao's straightforward nature and had no intention of leaving. She sat down again, and since they were talking about Bai Junchen drugging her, the conversation shifted to her.
"...wrote me a letter."
Wang Qingyao was surprised: "Aren't you on bad terms? She still wrote to you?"
"I also didn't expect her to write to me," Bai Junya said, then thought for a moment, "Perhaps she had no one else to write to."
Bai Junchun was living a good life now. Of course, she wasn't as comfortable materially as she was in Duanjing, but love was enough.
It took them more than half a month to reach their post after leaving Duanjing. On the way, Tian Yu was rather distant towards her and didn't let her serve him closely.
After officially tying the knot at their post, Tian Yu's attitude towards her underwent a complete change.
He doted on her and spoiled her, just like any ordinary newlywed couple, with no trace of estrangement.
She thought Tian Yu didn't know that the incident at Da Xiangguo Temple was orchestrated by Wang Qinglin and herself, and that he felt guilty towards her and was slowly coming to appreciate her.
She confessed her long-standing crush on him. Tian Yu was surprised and seemed very happy, embracing her and saying, "Let's live well from now on and forget about the past."
After that, he treated her even better, even staying in her room when she was indisposed, and never mentioning concubine maids.
Bai Junchun had never felt so at ease.
She wrote to Bai Junya, partly because she had no one else to write to, and partly to show off.
Bai Junya was genuinely happy for her.
After Bai Junya presented her betrothal gift, Wang Qingzhen and Wang Qingzhu also sent things one after another.
Unlike Bai Junya, who had a wealthy stepmother, they sent exquisite trinkets that were not very valuable.
Wang Qingyao didn't mind; the sentiment was what mattered.
Even Wang Qinglin sent someone to deliver a small Ruyi scepter inlaid with jewels.
Wang Qingyao dared not accept anything from her. After receiving it, she had Yin Zhu throw it into the storeroom.
Fang Yuan and Zuo Yun also came to personally give her their betrothal gifts.
Zuo Yun was over five months pregnant and had gained some weight.
She came today not only to give Wang Qingyao her betrothal gift but also to ask Wang Qingyao to tell her whether the baby in her belly was a boy or a girl.
"I have no other intentions," Zuo Yun explained, "purely out of curiosity."
Zuo Yun feared Wang Qingyao might misunderstand that she preferred a boy to a girl. In reality, after many years of trying to conceive, she would be happy even if it were a girl.
Wang Qingyao smiled and said, "I won't say. Let's wait for the reveal when the baby is born."
Fang Yuan exclaimed, "So, does that mean Sister Yao Yao can really tell if it's a boy or a girl?"
Wang Qingyao knew she had let slip something she shouldn't have. She quickly pursed her lips and shook her head, refusing to say another word no matter how much Fang Yuan pressed.
Zuo Yun laughed heartily. She had only asked out of curiosity, and if Wang Qingyao didn't want to say, she wouldn't press.
"How is your stepmother?" Wang Qingyao asked her.
Zuo Yun's smile faded slightly: "She manages the household as usual, as if nothing happened. My father-in-law dotes on her, and the previous incident has long been forgotten."
Huang Shi acted as if nothing had happened and was solicitous towards Zuo Yun, sending the best of everything to their courtyard first.
How could Zuo Yun dare to accept her things? She couldn't refuse them, nor could she throw them away. They were piled up in the storage room, and she lived in constant fear.
How could Zuo Yun maintain her pregnancy while living in constant anxiety?
Fang Zheng was furious. He hadn't expected Huang Shi to be so shameless. They had fallen out completely last time, yet she acted as if nothing had happened.
Ultimately, she was his stepmother. In the eyes of outsiders, she was a stepmother who cared for him meticulously, as if she were his own mother. If he were to cause too much trouble, his relationship with his father would also be strained.
Therefore, Fang Zheng acted like a despicable person.