Phoenix: Rules Of The Harem
Chapter 9: Even If You Don't Want Me
When the star-filled night had passed and changed with the gentle sunlight, Yun Rui woke up from her sleep. Her clothes were still the same, the wedding hanfu was red in color with golden phoenix embroidery all over the corner. He turned his head to his right side, it turned out that his wife, Shao Ling Mei had left their room first. Yun Rui smiled with a smile, even though Ling Mei treated him kindly and kindly, Yun Rui knew that now there was no herself in his wife's heart. The first morning after the wedding, according to the prevailing tradition, the son-in-law was required to give official greetings and give a cup of tea to the honored elders.
Since Shao Ling Mei's real father was an Imperial Chief Apprentice, to give official greetings would have to return to the Imperial Palace and salute her directly. With the presence or absence of a wife to accompany her partner while doing official greetings is very important. That will give their partner face and show how high their status will be in the future. The main escort accompanied by their wives while performing official greetings showed that they were a respected great lord and a strong harem leader. Conversely, if a chief escort performs official greetings alone without being accompanied by their wife it indicates that she is not loved will also be seen as a great lord of the low and weak.
"Shu Lian!"
Hearing that call Shu Lian walked into her master's bridal room. "I, Your Majesty."
"Do you know where the Fourth Princess is?" Yun Rui asked in a gentle tone, yet her facial lines looked dim.
Seeing the displeasure from his master, Shu Lian tried to explain it well. "The Fourth Princess had woken up early in the morning and told me that Her Majesty would return inside her own room to read the storybook with Personal Guard Liao."
Yun Rui furrowed her brows a sign of dislike, a hint of jealousy and envy enveloped her heart and mind. Inwardly he said: 'Isn't he more than capable of taking care of His Highness Ling Mei? Why should that man accompany his wife?'
Then the look on his face turned into sadness, that's right! She was not loved by the fourth princess. Yun Rui had been officially married to him and it was not appropriate for a wife to take her time on her wedding day with her official husband to be with another man. If others found out about this, it would be a big deal for the reputation of the fourth princess residence in the future. Yun Rui had been left behind on the first day of the wedding, she felt her heart was not fine. However, he could not let the reputation of his wife who was an imperial legitimate princess get any worse just because of this kind of matter.
"Shu Lian, this matter in the future lest anyone find out! Now help me prepare, I must meet Imperial Father Hong and give him a formal greeting."
"But, Chief Companion Wei, what if Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess does not come to accompany you to go to the Imperial Palace?"
Then after everything that happened this morning, will the woman go with him to give a formal greeting to the Imperial Chief Companion? Yun Rui was silent for a while, then she smiled gently.
"No. I'll wait for him. He's coming! He will definitely come, Shu Lian."
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After taking some time to prepare, Yun Rui waited for Ling Mei's arrival inside her pavilion quietly. Having entered the fourth princess residence and officially becoming the grand master of the residence, Wei Yun Rui who has officially become the Prince Consort* at the same time, the First Companion of the Fourth Princess Shao Ling Mei got the rights to the internal affairs of the residence and the harem, the management of the household budget, and the pavilion of her own. The fourth princess even gave the Xuanshi Pavilion, the most beautiful pavilion she had in her residence to occupy by Yun Rui, the pavilion had the second largest area after the Yin Pavilion. While Ling Mei herself would occupy the Yin Pavilion, the main pavilion as well as the widest pavilion in her residence as her main residence.
(Prince Consort: can also be referred to as a companion prince is a title for men who have been officially married to an imperial or royal princess. He has the position as the master of the residence and has the right to manage all household affairs and harem in the residence of the princess).
"Your Majesty, this cannot be delayed any longer. Please prepare to leave for the Imperial Palace now, you must not be late to make a formal greeting to Imperial Chief Companion Hong."
Shu Lian said carefully, she knew her master wanted to wait even longer. However, the time they had was very limited. It took about half an hour to reach the Imperial Palace from the Fourth Princess' Residence by horse carriage.
"Wait ... Let's wait a minute! I cannot go alone on the first day, however it is my official greetings as imperial daughter-in-law and the main companion of the Fourth Princess."
Yun Rui said calmly, yet it could be seen that the look in his eyes dimmed. Shu Lian looked at her master worriedly, being late when going to do the official greetings could give rise to bad rumors, Yun Rui might be judged undisciplined and a disobedient husband to the in-laws.
"But if you're late, it could probably give rise to—"
"Principal Wei, Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess is coming to see you." a voice from Yu Shen, Ling Mei's main servant sounded in front of her pavilion door. Yun Rui smiled happily, in silence she heaved a sigh of relief, she knew Ling Mei would not allow her pride and reputation to just fall.
..........................
The horse carriage that Yun Rui and Ling Mei were riding on had arrived before the gates of the Imperial Palace. Ling Mei chose to go out first then extended her right hand towards Yun Rui who was also about to get out of the horse carriage making the charming young man like a demon round her eyes in surprise. It looked sweet, with Yun Rui's flushed face grabbing Ling Mei's hand and grasping it happily. It looked like a harmonious and warm couple, yet everyone knew that it was just a fusion of an imperial mentally handicapped princess and a demon prince from Wei.
The two walked in followed by Yu Shen, Shu Lian, and Wu Jin who were right behind them. With her childish nature, Ling Mei whined a little and tugged at Yun Rui's hand to immediately follow in her footsteps. The few imperial servants who saw her then talked about it, not expecting that the mentally disabled trash princess seemed to have obtained such a charming husband with no small background. Seeing that, Yun Rui stared intently at the servants. He dislikes it when people bully and talk badly about his wife.
The Grand Lord of the Fourth Princess' Residence walked over to the maids and he said, "It seems very nice to be able to talk bad about the Fourth Princess. I think you guys are too brave to do something like this, should I report it to Imperial Chief Companion Hong?"
"Prince Wei! Her Majesty the Fourth Princess! Please forgive our impoliteness!" they kneeled down and spoke frantically, not expecting Prince Wei to have almost the same character as Imperial Chief Apprentice Hong Yu Wen.
Ling Mei had seen him, her blue eyes gleaming in curiosity. When Yun Rui decided to defend her, she wondered. Why is the man who became his official husband so bothered to just defend the daughter of trash like him? Ling Mei snorted inwardly, this man beside her is really interesting.
A female eunuch approached the crowd with a haughty face, of course! He was the favorite eunuch of Crown Princess Shao Mu Lan. Just bullying a trash princess like this was not a difficult thing for him.
Wei Yun Rui looked at the woman with anger, her attitude so presumptuous to the members of the imperial family. "You!"
Quickly Ling Mei held Yun Rui's arm and stroked her gently, seeing her husband who was about to get angry she thought he would hold her for a while. It was not a good thing to make a fuss while going to do an official greeting, Yun Rui would probably be rumored to be a great master with a bad attitude.
"N-it's okay! Leave it! Rui'er don't be so angry, I'm afraid!" hearing that Yun Rui was speechless, her two eyes widened. Ling Mei called out to him so sweetly, making a pink tinge fill both her cheeks and ears.
"Y-Your Majesty?"
"It's okay! Well, now let's go! I must have been waiting for us at the Dragon Palace." Ling Mei said with her stupid smile, she clasped Yun Rui's hand then gently pulled it away.
Seeing Ling Mei and Yun Rui leaving, the servants hurriedly bowed and said with great relief, "This lowly one was grateful for the generosity of Her Majesty the Fourth Princess and Prince Wei!"
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Leaving behind that ominous incident, along the path to the Dragon Palace, Yun Rui constantly stared towards the hand held by Ling Mei. Yun Rui had never felt this happy before, it felt like many spring flowers were blooming in her heart. Realizing that she was still grasping something, Ling Mei turned her head down, it turned out that her palm was still clinging to Yun Rui's. Immediately Ling Mei took it off making a feeling of disappointment arise in Yun Rui's heart, covering it up Ling Mei chose to pretend to walk like an enthusiastic child.
When they had reached the Dragon Palace, they saw Imperial Chief Companion Hong sitting gracefully in his chair. Even if he was not young anymore, Hong Yu Wen had a visual aura that remained radiated so strongly within him. Yu Wen looked warmly at the princess and her daughter-in-law, she was delighted. They both look like beautiful paintings; they feel unreal, yet true.
"Greeting the Imperial Chief Companion, may you always be filled with happiness." a husband and wife bowed in reverence.
Imperial Chief Companion Hong smiled in his seat. "Good! Alrighty! You are such a filial son! No painting or pair of birds is more beautiful than this. Women of beauty and men of this kind, I wish you a happy life."
"Dad! Daddy's! Are you all right? I think I missed when I played in the Dragon Palace with you." Yu Wen laughed when he heard the words of his daughter, that child! Even after marriage, she still clings to him.
"My daughter, Mei'er! How can you miss your father after you have a husband like this?" the praise from Yu Wen made Yun Rui bow down in embarrassment, looking that her ears were reddened.
Ling Mei shook her head disapprovingly with a sullen face. "No, no! .... Daddy's! Even if I marry a beautiful sky god though, father is still first in my heart!"
"My sweet daughter, Mei'er. Truly a dutiful princess."
After that interesting conversation, it was now time for Yun Rui to serve a cup of warm tea to Imperial Hong's Grand Companion.
"His Highness Prince Wei offered the best tea to the Imperial Grand Companion." an old man's maid announced it out loud.
It was with luck that Ling Mei was by his side and supporting him at the moment, it gave Yun Rui confidence and a good face in front of her father-in-law and the people who were inside the Dragon Palace. He then raised the teacup and respectfully gave the kowtow according to the traditions prevailing in the official salutation ceremony. "Wei Yun Rui saluted and greeted the imperial father, may you live for thousands and thousands of years!"
Imperial Hong's Imperial Clerk received the tea, then drank it gracefully before then he gave a green jade bracelet that he personally pinned on Yun Rui's hand. "There's nothing more that an old man like me can say, just please serve my Fourth Princess with sincerity."
Yun Rui smiled gently. His gaze came down, but full of sincerity and compassion. "I will always remember it in my heart."
When the entire series of ceremonies had been completed, Ling Mei thought that she would bring Yun Rui to meet her family who would return to the Kingdom of Wei in a moment. At the main gate of the Forbidden City (Inner Palace) area are seen hundreds of soldiers, horses, dozens of horse carriages that will be used by the Wei Kingdom entourage to return to his kingdom. Everything was well prepared and it was certain that they would leave in an hour. Yun Rui smiled happily as she looked at her sisters preparing to be helped by their servants, looking around she found her mother, Empress Wei was talking to Grand Empress Shao with a serious look on her face.
"Oh! Second Brother! Sister-in-law!" Fifth Princess Wei, Wei Zhi Yi called out to them enthusiastically.
Yun Rui and Ling Mei walked up to him, Fifth Princess Wei is a friendly and kind person. It looks wise, but sometimes it becomes carefree and full of freedom. Ling Mei only stared as Yun Rui and Zhi Yi talked about a few things, her gaze went around towards the surroundings and found Wei Tian Zhi who was secretly staring at her sadly. Was the young man also interested in her? What exactly happened until the princes of the Wei Kingdom wanted it so badly? A mentally disabled princess and this stupid imperial scum?
Seeing that, in silence and caution Ling Mei chose to stay away from the crowd of the Wei Kingdom entourage, she thought she would wait for Yun Rui in her old pavilion. From a distance, Wei Tian Zhi looked down at Ling Mei's departure, in his heart the young man longed for the woman who had become his brother's wife. She simply did not know that Empress Wei saw her and Ling Mei with a mysterious glittering eye gaze.