02. The Nie Bride

Unlike her uncle, Nie Linzhi's father - Nie Jinhao built his career in the capital city. Nie Linzhi grew up with the princess and daughters of the noble families, she was popular with the queen and oftentimes called to the palace to accompany the queen and her beloved nephew - Zhang Siyuan. The youngsters got along and some thought they were a childhood sweetheart.

Of course everyone was adhering to etiquette and never said it out loud, but indeed privately Zhang Siyuan promised to marry her. She treated him with sincerity and consideration, saved him from dangerous situations several times, because for the longest time, Nie Linzhi also thought they were childhood sweethearts.

Until the death of her father, and the queen turned her back from her and so did Zhang Siyuan. They didn't shun her or anything, the queen simply proposed a marriage to the prime minister's only granddaughter for Zhang Siyuan.

Although the girls in capital looked friendly but they talked a lot, the death of her father and the lack of relatives in the capital city was the perfect excuse for her to leave to Junyu. It was a wound from three years ago, but Huan Lin's words from last night brought the memories back.

Scenes from the past emerged clearly, including their childhood play dates, their childhood outings, the sweet nothings, and the spring breeze and autumn scenery. Although she was calm when recalling it, she knew the joy, anxiety, and longing at that time.

One time, she pushed Zhang Siyuan from an angry horse. Another time the rocks at the foot of the mountain suddenly loosened and she pulled him back up. When Zhang Siyuan was plotted and almost assassinated... Nie Linzhi stood in front of him without hesitation, risking her life to save him. She had scars, almost disfigured and lost her life, but she never hesitated.

However, in exchange for such sincerity, he didn't even left her a letter.

Love.. what a piece of shit.

There's nothing like a true feeling when it comes to power.

With Zhang Siyuan she knew the person without knowing the objective, but this time she knew the objective without knowing the person.

"Uncle."

"You are a smart girl, Linzhi. You know the reason I called you."

"Of course, Uncle."

"Then stay safe and behave when you are there. Have some rest, your aunt will help you with the wedding preparations."

"Understood Uncle, then I will take my leave."

Nie Linzhi was just out of the uncle's courtyard when her cousin's voice was heard.

"Make sure the medicine is delivered on time, for now make it as often as possible. Choose some trustworthy doctor to check on her regularly."

"Yes, Young Master."

After another series of instructions, he finally noticed Nie Linzhi a few steps away and dismissed the servants.

"I'm sorry, Linzhi."

Her mouth turned upward, "What do you mean sorry? I should've thank Uncle for choosing me as the bride. Imagine how many clan's daughter twisting their handkerchiefs and sobbing because I married such a man."

"I really don't understand what Jingyi is thinking. Our ally in the royal court is thinning and the military strength is also declining. How can she leave our family like this?"

Nie Linzhi spread the fish food to the pond, "But, I do."

Nie Feiyu observed his cousin's face, they were the same age yet Nie Linzhi had no engagement at all. The first time they met in the capital city was when they're 8. Although girls and boys had stricter etiquette at this age, the cousin he met at that time was lively. She dragged him to all the good places in the capital city, bought him all kinds of trinkets and gadgets to show to his sister and mother back in Junyu. She wrote him letters from crooked handwriting to an elegant cursive for years before relocating to Junyu. Saying Nie Feiyu knew all about her like the back of his hand wasn't an exaggeration. The thing about Zhang Siyuan, he knew it very well.

"Linzhi.."

"The woman in Jingyi's courtyard, should I pay her a visit so the smoke seems more real?"

Nie Feiyu's melancholy was replaced by a knowing smile, "You can tell just by a few words just now? You're too smart for your own good sometimes."

Sat on the edge platform Nie Linzhi shrugged, "Not smart enough to prevent disaster apparently."

"Do you want to go to the temple?"

"Uncle and Aunt have so many eyes staring at me, they won't let me leave."

"Don't worry, I'll take you there."

Bunya temple, its serenity was famous because it was built on top of the mountain. Worshippers must go through hundreds of steps before lit incense on the main hall and pray. Ladies usually took a special path where they could pray in a smaller hall, but Nie Linzhi specially took the trip to pray at the main hall today.

Nie Linzhi swept the beads of sweat on her temple, glaring at the teasing Nie Feiyu.

"Told you to pray at the small hall but you insist on climbing this step today."

"This is important, I need to pray there."

The duo walked to the main hall. Kneeling on the cushion, prayed, and lit the incense at the end.

"Feiyu, I want to go to the matchmaking tree."

"Seriously? The gifts from people could smash the manor door and you still want to make a wish there?"

The Governor family was generous and very popular among the local people. In the past two days, people from all over the province had been coming to express their gratitude and congratulations to the Manor. They were happy that the Zhangs had retreated because of the marriage news.

"Why not? Maybe the matchmaking lord would change his mind and ruin this wedding."

Nie Feiyu ignored her nonsense and gave her his plague too, "Add more for good luck."

The cousin parted ways and Nie Linzhi went to the banyan tree near the waterfall, thankfully the nanny and attendant from her aunt gave her some privacy to hang both plague.

The wind was wrapped in snow, slapping Nie Linzhi's face as she hung the plague. She didn't really need the blessing, she was calculating whether she had the courage to fake a fall and died here.

As expected, she didn't dare.

The bottom of the cliff was nowhere to be seen, the waterfall sounds roared on her ear, and the chilly wind brought various memories instead. Unlike Nie Linzhi who lost her mother because of childbirth, Zhang Siyuan's mother died when he was 10. Nie Linzhi accompanied him the entire time in the funeral hall and ever since had been his only friend for a few years. Even before the queen's intervention, Nie Linzhi and Zhang Siyuan had a deep friendship and a confidant of a fellow motherless child.

It wasn't the cold or the fatigue that made her slumped on the snow, it was the sudden suffocation that made her senseless.

The last time she was on a cliff, she would gladly die in return for Zhang Siyuan's safety. In the winter of her childhood, she was skating with Zhang Siyuan on the outskirts of the capital city. In front of a different banyan tree, Zhang Siyuan swore an oath to marry her.

She saw her tears before she realized he was crying. What a joke, literally what a joke. She was crying over a man that probably had one or two children miles away from here. Curling her hand into a ball, she held in her sobbing by digging her nails into her skin.

There's nothing truer than 'crying a river' to illustrate this.

The heartache, the anger, and the loathing was too much for her to handle that the next time she opened her eyes she was already in the manor.

In a blink of a week, the day of her marriage arrived.

Two hours before sunrise, Mama Xu pulled her out from under the quilt, bathed her in herbal concoction and smoked her hair with floral incense. Later Ningning also dressed her up and put on the wedding dress. During this event, even though she had her breakfast, the fatigue of early rise and being pulled from one place to another got under her skin. Her temper was rising but she had to sit properly to avoid crushing the wedding dress, the ostentatious phoenix crown was heavy, and the red veil on top of it made her whole body extremely sore and uncoordinated.

The drums, music, and matchmakers were as lively as ever.

Both sides of the main courtyard were filled with guests who came to congratulate the Nies. The men were wearing their best robes and crowns, while the women were wearing exquisite dresses and beautiful jewels. They were all local nobles.

The manor's outer door finally opened and the public could see the bride step over the brazier before riding the wedding carriage. It was unanimously agreed that the people would escort the entourage to the harbor to cross the river.

To showcase the importance of this alliance, the wedding ceremony was following the seven ancient rituals where the etiquette, splendor, and gifts were comparable to a royal wedding.

With Nie Jingyi's disappearance, her dowry was given to Nie Linzhi by default and combining the two personal dowries from the governor family, her late mother's dowry, and her father's assets, it was a long red box to the harbor.

Since Han Junjie was busy at the border, it was agreed that the second half of the wedding ceremony would be held across the river. Today was only the 'escorting bride' part and once Han Junjie was back, the welcoming bride and the wedding ceremony would be held. After all, the family's focus wasn't the wedding, but the alliance to appease the masses.