The grand wedding was an extraordinarily spectacular event, especially among the scholar-official class. The ten-mile-long bridal procession was particularly eye-catching. Tao Le's wife came from a prominent family in Linchuan, and her father was a legitimate jinshi graduate. However, his ambitions did not lie in officialdom, so he returned to Linchuan to take over the academy passed down from his grandfather, becoming a highly respected great scholar in Linchuan.
Due to her special status, Shen Xihe couldn't attend the ceremony outside, as her presence might make the guests restrained and dampen the festive atmosphere, which would be her fault. Compared to the wedding festivities, Tao Cheng and Tao Yuan were more concerned about the large crowd and potential security risks to Shen Xihe.
The continuous sound of firecrackers filled the air, and even in the backyard, she could hear the cheers and applause. Infected by the joyous atmosphere, Shen Xihe gazed at the withered branches and revealed a gentle, elegant smile.
Hongyu ran to the front to watch the entire ceremony, carefully memorizing everything before returning to recount it to Shen Xihe in detail, as if Shen Xihe had witnessed the whole event herself.
As dusk fell, Shen Xihe received another reply from Xiao Huayong, containing only one line:
"Snow adorns the plum branches with brilliance,
The heart admires the moon, yet the moon remains unseen."
There was still a single strand of black hair enclosed.
Zhenzhu greatly admired her mistress. Faced with the Crown Prince's daily declarations of affection, she remained unmoved and showed no impatience. While she had been somewhat annoyed by the first letter, she now treated them with indifference. After reading to confirm there was no missing information about Worldly Son Bu, she would burn them.
"Give the order. We depart the day after tomorrow. I wish to detour through Liyang Commandery," Shen Xihe instructed Zhenzhu.
Zhenzhu subtly raised an eyebrow. "As you command.Perhaps the princess held some different feeling toward the Crown Prince, even if it wasn't romantic love? Otherwise, given her character, she wouldn't alter her schedule for anyone. Just days ago, she had said they would stay two more days before departing, waiting for Moyu's message from Liyang.
But whether this difference stemmed from the Crown Prince having shown her kindness, or because the princess had already expressed her intention to marry him to His Majesty, or something else entirely, Zhenzhu couldn't be sure.
The next day, when the bride paid respects to her parents-in-law, Shen Xihe did attend. The bride was a gentle and graceful woman, speaking softly and unhurriedly, exuding an elegant scholarly aura that instantly inspired fondness.
"This humble one pays respects to the princess—"
"Third sister-in-law, you are too formal."" Shen Xihe personally helped her up. "Third cousin and I are merely siblings."
Status and such were merely for outsiders' perception.
"In the north dwells a beauty, peerless and independent. Whenever I recalled this verse before, I struggled to imagine what kind of stunning beauty could deserve such praise. Today, upon seeing the princess, I realize the ancients did not deceive us." Lady Li softly praised Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe wasn't one for exchanging compliments. She smiled faintly. "Sister-in-law, you flatter me too much."
Lady Li's eyes still shimmered with a soft, moonlit glow. She took an intricately carved rosewood box from her maid. "Unaware of the princess's preferences, I consulted Third Lang and selected this gift." I hope it pleases you."
Shen Xihe accepted it without opening it publicly. "A gift from my elder brother and sister-in-law is surely something delightful."
As Lady Li still needed to meet her younger cousin and later visit clan relatives with Tao Le, she merely said she would seek Shen Xihe for conversation later before continuing the greetings with Tao Le.
Only upon returning to her room did Shen Xihe open the box. Inside was an exceptionally beautiful jade yuan bracelet with cloud patterns.
The jade was greenish, with overall brownish tinges, adorned with interconnected cloud motifs, exquisitely carved.Shen Xihe picked it up, the cool touch of the jade stirring her thoughts. "Fetch my incense tools."
Hongyu immediately brought over the entire case. Shen Xihe first soaked the jade in water mixed with fragrant spices for a moment, then took it out and gently wiped it with a clean cloth. After wiping for a long time, some brown dust particles appeared on the snow-white cloth. Shen Xihe used silver leaf tweezers to carefully pick them into a nearby bowl containing water. As these particles entered the water, they dissolved into wisps of smoke and dispersed.
Shen Xihe waited until they had completely dissolved in the water before lifting the bowl to smell it. "This has been in a tomb."
Wealthy families were very particular about burials, placing numerous fragrant spices to preserve the body. These spices were no different from those used by the living, but the formulas and those that had been in tombs ultimately differed from those used by the living.
Hongyu lowered her head to smell the water, which appeared colorless, and she detected no scent. "Go wait outside. When Third Cousin and his wife return, tell them I have matters to discuss with Third Cousin's wife," Shen Xihe instructed Hongyu.
After Hongyu withdrew, Shen Xihe gazed out the window at the gloomy sky, lost in thought.
"Your Highness, it seems this grave-robbing and treasure-stealing business isn't limited to Henan Prefecture," Zhenzhu also expressed concern. This matter might involve more than they had initially thought.
"I'm wondering why Third Cousin's wife would give this to me," Shen Xihe mused. The grave-robbing case had far-reaching implications, likely no smaller than the rouge case. Shen Xihe had long been prepared, but what preoccupied her was this jade hook-cloud patterned disc.
She hadn't just arrived yesterday. Having been here for several days, there was ample time for Lady Li to prepare a greeting gift. The Li family was also a prominent clan, and Lady Li was the legitimate daughter of the main branch, with a dowry of eighty-six chests. Couldn't her family have produced a presentable gift?
Did she have to go buy one temporarily? And one of unclear origins at that? Given the Li family's cautious and prudent family tradition, Lady Li shouldn't have given this to her.
"This jade hook-cloud patterned disc has an unusual background." All reasons would have to wait until Lady Li arrived to be clarified.
Just after Shen Xihe finished her nap and had dressed, Lady Li arrived with her maid.
"Cousin, where did you find this item? I quite like it. I have a young friend in the capital whom I'd like to buy one for as a gift," Shen Xihe said, presenting the opened box to Lady Li.
Hearing this, Lady Li was pleased. "This was given to me by my brother. I found it unique, so I selected it for you, Your Highness. But there's only one like it."
"Does your brother have any other fine items?" Shen Xihe continued. "When I came to Linchuan, I promised to bring back local specialties for friends."
"If you don't mind, Your Highness, I could have my brother bring some good items for you to choose from?" Lady Li offered eagerly.
Even before marrying into the family, she knew the Tao family had only this one young lady. Even though she was of a different surname, she was the treasure of the Tao family. As a new bride, Lady Li naturally wanted to build a good relationship with this cousin.
"Then I'll trouble you, cousin," Shen Xihe did not refuse.
After Lady Li gave the order, she stayed to chat with Shen Xihe, who subtly extracted information from her.
The more she listened, the more something felt amiss. She had initially thought Lady Li's brother had merely acquired the item elsewhere, but from Lady Li's account, this brother who couldn't focus on studies and only loved scheming sounded more like an accomplice in grave-robbing for profit. And Lady Li and her parents seemed completely unaware of it.Zhenzhu’s expression also shifted slightly upon hearing this. This matter was not something the Junzhu could easily intervene in; a single misstep could drive a wedge between the newlywed couple, disrupting the bond between the bride and her cousin.
“Junzhu.”
Shen Xihe cast a calm glance at her, then spoke to Li Shi with an unchanged expression, “My cousin’s wife, it’s a pity my elder brother’s talent for commerce went to waste.”
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