https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-232-Her-Husband-Wants-to-See-Her/12935699/
Chapter 233: The Governor and Your Wedding Night
Chapter 233: The Governor and Your Wedding Night
September 24, 2024
Meng Qianqian lowered her eyes, her heart filled with bitterness and resentment as she hesitated for a moment. "Then, you can look."
Lu Yuan let out a cold hum. "Then let go of my hand."
Meng Qianqian glanced at him weakly.
When he realized what she meant, Lu Yuan was shocked. "You—"
Meng Qianqian lowered her head guiltily.
Lu Yuan was furious. "You'd rather... you'd rather let someone see that place than let them see your hand? Then I'll do it against your will!"
Without waiting for her response, Lu Yuan released her right hand and pulled her left wrist in front of him. He unwrapped the layers of bandages around it.
When he saw her shocking palm, he felt a lump in his throat.
He had assumed that she was seriously injured, perhaps even disabled, but to his surprise, there was no wound! The bloody mess was frightening, but the color seemed slightly off.
He furrowed his brows in disbelief. "Are you faking it?"
Meng Qianqian nodded slowly. "I'm not that stupid to use a self-inflicted wound scheme to save her."
Lu Yuan choked, not knowing what to say for a moment.
He released her hand. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Meng Qianqian answered softly and honestly, "I wasn't thinking of taking advantage of the situation to claim credit and make it seem like I went through a lot of trouble."
Lu Yuan: "..."
"But you can't..." Lu Yuan closed his eyes and turned away, saying, "You'd rather risk your body just to protect your hand."
Meng Qianqian was taken aback. "Did you just want to see my body, he said, choking.
Lu Yuan picked up the teacup on the table and drank it in one gulp, not giving Meng Qianqian a chance to stop him.
After drinking, he said calmly, "I just wanted to check if you had any other injuries."
"Oh." Meng Qianqian blinked at him.
Lu Yuan asked coolly, "What's wrong?"
Meng Qianqian pointed at his hand. "This cup, I've drunk from it."
Lu Yuan nodded, his face unchanging, but his ears turned slightly red.
"Qianqian!"
The King of Miaojiang rushed into the courtyard.
Lu Yuan glanced at the bandages on the table. "Hurry up and wrap it back up."
Meng Qianqian: "Hmm?"
The King of Miaojiang entered the room and looked at Meng Qianqian first. "Qianqian, I heard your hand is injured! Let your grandfather take a look!"
Meng Qianqian paused halfway through wrapping the bandages.
Lu Yuan said calmly, "I just applied medicine. Removing the bandages will hurt again."
The King of Miaojiang hurriedly said, "Then I won't look. Hurry up and bandage it properly!"
Meng Qianqian wrapped the bandages with her head down.
The King of Miaojiang slapped Lu Yuan on the back of his head. "You rascal! Don't you see that your wife only has one hand? Don't you know how to bandage her hand?"
Lu Yuan clenched his fingers tightly and took a deep breath.
Meng Qianqian's body trembled, her heart filled with anxiety. "Grandfather, grandfather! It's not my husband's fault. I didn't let him bandage my hand!"
Help me, grandfather! I'm just a small fry, I can't afford to offend the Governor!
"She's speaking up for you!" The King of Miaojiang grabbed Lu Yuan's collar. "Go and bandage her hand!"
Lu Yuan suppressed the urge to fight with the old man. He walked slowly to Meng Qianqian, knelt on one knee, and held her hand, carefully bandaging it.
The King of Miaojiang stood with his hands behind his back, like a supervisor. "That's more like it!"
-
That night, Bai Yuwei vomited twice. Fortunately, Meng Qianqian was there to turn her onto her side, preventing the risk of choking on her vomit.
It wasn't until noon the next day that Bai Yuwei woke up with a splitting headache.
Before she could complain to her family, the King of Miaojiang scolded her harshly.
"Do you think this is Miaojiang? You keep running off. If not for Qianqian, you wouldn't have made it back! Do you know that Qianqian almost lost her hand trying to save you?"
Bai Yuwei pouted. "She's not that kind-hearted."
The King of Miaojiang laughed in anger. "Yes, she's not that kind-hearted. She shouldn't have bothered with you. She should have let you fend for yourself! Whether you die at the hands of the kidnappers or in the mansion, it's up to you!"
Amaran also recounted the rescue from the previous day. "Miss, the young mistress was very dedicated to saving you. If not for her, Miss, you might have..."
Bai Yuwei understood what Amarant was implying.
Recalling the terrifying experience from the day before, she lost her stubbornness.
In the afternoon, Meng Qianqian came to change Bai Yuwei's dressing.
Meng Qianqian said nothing. She neither scolded nor took pleasure in Bai Yuwei's misfortune, nor was she unreasonable.
After quietly changing the dressing, she carried the tray and left the courtyard.
Bai Yuwei spoke up. "Thank you."
Meng Qianqian raised an eyebrow.
Bai Yuwei said defiantly, "My grandfather told me to thank you. If I don't, he'll send me back to Miaojiang!"
Meng Qianqian smiled lightly and walked out of the courtyard.
Amaran said, "Miss, Lady Lu is quite concerned about you. Last night, she stayed up all night to keep watch over you."
Bai Yuwei huffed, "She's just putting on a show for my grandfather, just like all those women who tried to get close to my brother in the past! They act nice to my face but secretly plot against me. I've seen enough of these women!"
Amaran explained, "I don't think Lady Lu is like them, Miss."
Bai Yuwei, annoyed, asked, "Amaran, have you been bought by her too?"
Amaran quickly clarified, "No, Miss!"
"Where's my brother?" Bai Yuwei inquired.
Amaran replied, "The Young Master has gone to meet the Miao King."
In the Miao King's courtyard, Bai Qingchen informed the Miao King about being approached, "I suspect they are from the Chancellor's Mansion."
The Miao King frowned, "Suspect? Haven't you seen them at the Chancellor's Mansion?"
Bai Qingchen shook her head, "There are many guests at the Mansion, and I've only seen a Gongsun and a Yu."
The Miao King's expression grew colder, "The Chancellor's Mansion is quite ambitious, not afraid to burst their stomachs with their greed!"
The news of Bai Yuwei being sold to the brothel had not leaked out. The Miao King suspected a connection with the Chancellor's Mansion and sent people to investigate. It turned out that Bai Yuwei was just unlucky and had encountered two human traffickers.
The traffickers had been dealt with by the bazaar owner, and their deaths were quite miserable.
Initially, the Miao King had also wanted to teach the Ten Thousand Flowers Tower a lesson. But remembering Yan Niangzi's past medical treatment of Meng Qianqian and the two months of care for Bao Shu, the Miao King decided to temporarily spare Yan Niangzi.
Over the next few days, Meng Qianqian kept thinking about her relationship with Yan Niangzi, but she couldn't remember anything.
She wanted to ask Chenlong, but he was nowhere to be found.
In the blink of an eye, it was the eve of the Imperial Wedding.
The Duke's Mansion was brightly lit, with servants busy hanging lanterns, laying out red silk, and setting up stages... Duke Yao's daughter, Yao Qingluan, was also busy in her courtyard.
Lady Wen carefully checked the dowry list and examined the wedding attire.
Yao Qingluan's two sisters-in-law came to keep her company and brought her many gifts for her trousseau.
Yao Qingluan urged, "Mother, Big Sister, Second Sister, please go back and rest."
Lady Wen pouted, "You're getting married tomorrow morning, and your mother and sisters will stay here tonight."
Yao Qingluan was surprised, looking at the three of them.
The eldest sister-in-law smiled, "Little Sister, don't you want us to keep you company?"
Yao Qingluan lowered her head, "How could that be?"
Lady Wen held her daughter's hand, reluctant to let go, "This is your last night at home. After tonight, it will be difficult for your mother to see you again."
"The last night," Yao Qingluan whispered, then fell silent.
At the third watch of the night, Lady Wen and her two daughters-in-law couldn't fight off their sleepiness and dozed off.
Yao Qingluan gently lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and tiptoed out of the room.
The night wind howled, making the red lanterns in the corridor sway gracefully.
Holding up her skirt, she ran towards the backyard, facing the wind.
On the grass, on the big tree, and on the roof, there was only silence.
"Are you there?"
She asked the boundless night.
The lonely sound of the wind responded.
"I'm entering the palace tomorrow morning!"
She looked around.
"Thank you for protecting me for nine nights!"
"My name is Yao Qingluan!"
"I don't mean anything else, I just want to thank you in person!"
"Can you show yourself?"
Yao Qingluan waited for a long time, her clothes soaked by the cool night air.
"He's really gone."
Yao Qingluan walked back dejectedly.
But after a few steps, she turned back.
The servants had just finished hanging the lanterns, and the ladder was still there.
She gritted her teeth and, with great effort, moved the ladder to the eaves.
She cautiously stepped on the ladder and climbed onto the roof with difficulty.
The roof was empty, not a soul in sight.
"He's not here? Then how did he know about the assassins every night?"
Yao Qingluan couldn't come up with an answer and slowly descended the ladder.
"Miss, why are you climbing a ladder in the middle of the night?"
Her personal maid found her and stared at the scene in shock.
Yao Qingluan said, "I'm just taking a walk, don't tell my mother."
The maid draped a cloak over her.
Yao Qingluan took one last look at the roof and resolutely disappeared into the night.
Two tall, robust figures leaped onto the roof.
Ji Li opened the folding fan with a flourish, "You're not going to bid her farewell?"
Si She rested her hand behind her head, gazing at the starry sky, "No need."
Ji Li clicked her tongue, "You're the definition of cold-hearted. I'll ask you again, if she and Little Lord Yinhu both fall into the water, who would you save?"
Si She, "Lord Yinhu would save her."
Ji Li, "..."
At dawn, Meng Qianqian's task for Si She was complete. Si She displayed her light body skills and left the Duke's Mansion without a backward glance.
The Imperial Wedding was a grand celebration for the entire nation. Not only did the court officials and generals enjoy a three-day break, but even the Imperial Academy was granted a short holiday.
Yu Li packed his belongings and returned to his cousin and brother-in-law's home.
There were many guests at his brother-in-law's residence, all of whom he had met the previous night.
He wasn't particularly concerned about his brother-in-law's background.
Whether he was the King of Miaojiang's grandson or an orphan without parents, as long as he treated his cousin well, that was all that mattered.
"Cousin!"
As he was reading in the small garden, he turned around and saw Meng Qianqian approaching.
Meng Qianqian curved her lips slightly. "Cousin, you're up so early to study?"
Yu Li scratched his head. "Oh, it's just a habit. Where are you going, cousin?"
"I'm going to wake up Bao Shu." Meng Qianqian glanced at Yu Li's long robe and said, "I asked Ban Xia to send you some clothes, but why aren't you wearing them?"
Yu Li was taken aback. "Should I wear them today?"
Meng Qianqian replied, "Yes, it's the Imperial Wedding. We'll be going to the palace later."
Yu Li pointed at himself. "Me... Am I going too?"
Meng Qianqian asked, "Don't you want to go, cousin?"
"I do, I do!" Yu Li smiled sheepishly. "I just didn't think I'd be able to go."
Meng Qianqian smiled. "You're family too, of course you should come."
Yu Li's heart warmed at her words.
Bao Shu was delighted to learn that they were going to the palace. She pointed to her head full of baby hair, indicating that she wanted one hundred and eight braids!
Meng Qianqian's lips twitched, and she called for Ban Xia.
Ban Xia said, "Miss, a servant's life is still a life."
In the end, with the combined efforts of Ban Xia and Meng Qianqian, Bao Shu ended up with a shimmering silver Miaojiang hat.
To ensure a smooth wedding, Lu Yuan and the Imperial Guard would escort the bride today.
Meng Qianqian, holding the dressed-up Bao Shu, went to see him off.
Lu Yuan, dressed in a heavy purple court robe, stood tall and elegant, his face as beautiful as jade. His icy phoenix eyes were like ancient wells, and his entire being exuded an aura of decisiveness and restraint.
Indeed, as the Grand Marshal, he was devastatingly handsome.
Lu Yuan spoke in a detached tone, "What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?"
Meng Qianqian, unfazed, reached out and touched his face. "There's a little bug."
Bao Shu exclaimed, "Bug!"
Lu Yuan hummed coldly, "How old are you, and you still need to be carried? Get down and walk by yourself."
Bao Shu crossed her arms defiantly. "You're the same. You need to be carried too."
Lu Yuan asked, "Where am I?"
Bao Shu pouted. "Every morning, I want my mother to carry me."
She imitated Meng Qianqian's embrace of Lu Yuan, her small hands tightly wrapped around Meng Qianqian's neck.
Meng Qianqian choked.
I didn't! You're slandering me, Bao Zhu Zhu. I have a good sleeping posture!
Bao Shu waved her hands at Lu Yuan. "Baby saw it many times!"
Meng Qianqian felt so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into the ground. If only she hadn't taught you to talk so much...
Meng Qianqian covered Bao Shu's mouth and said to Lu Yuan, "Husband, let's go quickly. We don't want to miss the auspicious timing."
"Qing Shuang."
Lu Yuan spoke calmly.
Qing Shuang appeared. "Grand Marshal."
Lu Yuan said, "Take Bao Shu away."
"Oh."
Qing Shuang took Bao Shu from Meng Qianqian's embrace.
Bao Shu protested, "I want my mother! I want my mother!"
The protest was in vain.
Bao Shu, with her hair standing on end, was carried away by Qing Shuang.
Lu Yuan took a couple of steps forward, standing just inches away from Meng Qianqian. His masculine scent enveloped her.
Meng Qianqian dared not look at him.
However, Lu Yuan's gaze fell on her slightly flushed cheeks.
He smiled. "Meng Xiaojiu, is this the good sleeping posture you and I have repeatedly assured each other of? You took advantage of me while I was asleep."
Meng Qianqian quickly replied, "Xiaojiu dares not."
Lu Yuan's eyebrows arched. "You may not dare with your words, but your heart is daring enough. If Bao Shu hadn't revealed the truth today, I wouldn't know how long I'd be taken advantage of by you."
Oh, Bao Shu, you've really put me in a difficult situation.
Meng Qianqian closed her eyes, clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and said with a stiff upper lip, "Xiaojiu couldn't control her emotions for a moment. Please forgive me, Grand Marshal. Xiaojiu will sleep with her mother tonight..."
Lu Yuan said, "What? Do you still want to take advantage of my mother?"
Meng Qianqian was speechless.
Lu Yuan brushed his wide sleeves. "If you want to be my true wife, it's not impossible."
Meng Qianqian was taken aback. "Hmm?"
Lu Yuan spoke casually. "Anyway, my mother likes you, my father adores you, and Bao Shu can't live without you. Instead of finding another woman to spend my life with, I might as well choose someone who pleases the whole family."
Meng Qianqian stared at him in shock. "True wife means..."
Lu Yuan cleared his throat. "Tonight, when I return, we will consummate our marriage."
(End of Chapter)
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