Chapter 2: Humiliation, Come Back Tomorrow

On such a joyous day, for a wedding matron to shout "Something bad has happened!" in the middle of the street? She was clearly doing it on purpose.

Han Yunxi was about to lift the curtain to see what was going on, but then she thought twice; as a bride, if she showed her face in the street so improperly, wouldn't she be drowned by the spit of every ancient person passing by?

She could only give up and listen discreetly. From the commotion outside, it was clear that a large crowd had gathered to watch.

"Oh dear, we've made a mistake! We took the wrong path! We should have turned right at that last intersection, but we turned left instead!" The wedding matron's tone was almost enough to make her wail to the heavens.

"I wondered what all the fuss was about. This road can still lead to the Prince Qin's Mansion."

"Exactly, exactly. Granny Wang, aren't you getting senile? It's a joyous day, why are you saying such unlucky things? Weren't you the one who just pointed to the left turn?"

...

The sedan bearers spoke one after another, but Granny Wang kept stomping her feet repeatedly. "I am senile! This is bad! If we go this way, it will take at least another hour, and the bride will miss the auspicious hour!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire area fell into a sudden, deathly silence.

When it came to the auspicious hour, people were particular about it not just in ancient times, but even in modern times.

After a long while, one sedan bearer asked timidly, "Then... then should we go back and turn right?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?" The matron stomped her foot fiercely, the thick powder on her face cracking from her anger. "The bride cannot turn back, and she certainly cannot walk a path she has already traveled. Are you cursing the bride to be sent back home after a divorce?"

These words left the sedan bearer speechless.

Inside the sedan, Han Yunxi rolled her eyes repeatedly. This matchmaker was clearly trying to make her late on purpose. The Prince Qin's Mansion hadn't sent a wedding procession or the groom himself; they had only sent a wedding matron.

Before she had even entered the door, they were giving her a warning. If she missed the auspicious hour, wouldn't any future misfortunes in the Prince Qin's Mansion be blamed on her?

Han Yunxi wished she could step out of the sedan, refuse to marry, and dump the groom right in the street. However, she was very aware of her situation. Her natal family was full of wolves, and her in-laws would be tigers and leopards. Having inherited the identity of the Han family's useless, ugly daughter, she could not act recklessly.

She could only take things one step at a time. At any rate, this was a marriage bestowed by the Empress Dowager and ordered by the Emperor; she wanted to see what the Prince Qin's Mansion dared to do to her.

The matchmaker and the sedan bearers discussed for a long time, and in the end, they could only continue rushing forward. The four sedan bearers ran for their lives, tossing Han Yunxi around violently.

However, they ultimately missed the auspicious hour, arriving a full half-hour late.

The grand, ten-foot-high gates of the Prince Qin's Mansion were tightly shut, and even the side gates were all closed. The entrance was surrounded by the citizens of the capital, who had long since begun pointing and gossiping.

"I heard Han Yunxi is incredibly ugly. No wonder Prince Qin isn't even willing to show his face."

"Heh, even the world's number one beauty thought about marrying into the Prince Qin's Mansion, so what does Han Yunxi count for? I reckon even if she goes in, she's destined to spend her life in an empty room."

"Don't say that, they have quite the status, arriving half an hour late. Oh, my legs are aching from waiting!"

...

If it had been the previous Han Yunxi hearing these words, wouldn't she have cried herself to death? Unfortunately, the current Han Yunxi was no longer that same pitiful creature who was timid, insecure, and self-abandoning.

She remained unbothered, rubbing the tumor on her cheek while peering through the gap in the curtain. She saw that the gates of the Prince Qin's Mansion were empty, without a single piece of festive decoration. If it weren't for the wedding sedan arriving at the door, no one would have known this household was holding a wedding today.

The desolate scene was undoubtedly telling Han Yunxi that she was unwelcome; even when she delivered herself to their doorstep, they didn't want her.

Granny Wang was knocking on the door, not daring to use much force and only knocking gently. After a long while, there was no movement at the main gate, but the side gate opened. An old gatekeeper stood inside, showing no intention of coming out.

Granny Wang hurried over, displaying great professionalism, smiling joyfully and festively, "The bride has arrived! The bride has arrived!"

To her surprise, the old servant merely glanced at the wedding sedan and said disdainfully, "The Consort Dowager has ordered: since the auspicious hour has been missed, come back tomorrow!"

With that, he slammed the door shut with a "bang."