Chapter 1 - Once Through the Gates of a Marquis's House, It is as Deep as the Sea
It had been three days since Li Mingyi was married, yet she had still not seen her husband.
On the day of the wedding procession, before the bridal sedan had even been set down, the groom, Pei Yue, received an urgent imperial edict. Without a moment to spare for the wedding ceremony, he turned his horse and galloped northwest. It was said that a major incident had occurred, but as for what it was, no one in the residence informed her.
Mingyi did not take it much to heart either. She stepped over the brazier by herself, paid respects to Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, and her parents, and then entered the bridal chamber. To this very day, she had not taken a single step out of her courtyard gates.
According to the momo's* words, as the new bride had not drunk the nuptial wine, it was not appropriate for her to leave the courtyard.
[TL/N: In Chinese historical dramas and literature, "Momo (嬷嬷)" is a respectful title for an older, senior female servant. These are not ordinary maids; they are typically experienced women who have served a family for a long time and hold a position of authority.
Their roles can include: Matron/Head servant, Nanny/wet nurse, and Chaperone/Governess.
I kept the term "momo" because direct English equivalents like "nanny," "matron," or "governess" don't perfectly capture the specific combination of respect, authority, and intimacy that the title momo implies in this cultural context.]
She did not know if the Pei family truly had such a rule, or if they were afraid that she, a wild girl from the countryside, would offend someone and were thus unwilling to let her show her face.
She herself was doing alright, but her dowry maid, Qinghe, could no longer endure it.
Qinghe, who could scale mountains and sail seas, had always been used to being wild and had never been restrained. Being unable to go out for three whole days had thoroughly bored her. She was sprawled on the square table under the east window like a stranded fish, devoid of all vitality.
“Miss, when will the Young Master return?” Once the Young Master returned and they drank the nuptial wine, she would be able to go out for a breath of fresh air.
Mingyi, sitting in the host's seat that faced south, was calmly sipping her tea. She laughed and said:
“Logically, today is the bridal home-visit, so we are allowed to go out. Since you can’t sit still any longer, shall I go and report to Madam and take you out for a stroll?”
Qinghe immediately sat up, her face instantly brightening as if she had come back to life.
“Miss, you’re not deceiving me?”
Mingyi rubbed her head. “How could I deceive you? Go and summon the momo.”
Qinghe flew out from behind the curtain. Before long, she had brought over the managing momo from Changchun Hall.
Qinghe had an impatient nature and couldn't stand the momo's sluggish manner. While her mouth said “please,” she was in fact dragging the momo by the arm with one hand, forcibly bringing the person inside.
The momo, who was used to living a pampered life, had never encountered such a situation. With one arm gripped by Qinghe, she frowned from the pain.
Seeing this, Mingyi glanced at Qinghe. Only then did Qinghe release her hand, retreat to the side, and let out a cold snort.
It wasn't her fault for being this way.
These past few days, having nothing to do, she had wandered around and unintentionally overheard maids of various ranks hiding in corners, ridiculing the mistress-servant pair. Their words expressed disdain for her miss's low birth, deeming her unworthy of that top scholar whose name was renowned throughout the capital.
That’s right, her miss’s birth was not good; she was merely the daughter of an impoverished country squire with no surplus wealth in the family. But this marriage was not something they had sought by marrying up; it was the Pei family's Old Master who had personally come to their door to propose it. Since that was the case, what was the point of ridiculing her miss?
That wasn't all. What was even more detestable was that it was clearly the Young Master who had left in response to an imperial summons, yet in secret, those people claimed it was because the miss had a bad fate, her marriage path was ill-fated, and she had attracted misfortune, which was why she could not see her own husband on their wedding night.
Look at that, were those even the words of a human?
It nearly angered Qinghe to death.
Was Pei Yue the only official in the imperial court? In her view, it was Pei Yue who disliked her miss and was deliberately giving her the cold shoulder.
Qinghe had been here for three days and had been aggrieved for three full days.
Moreover, they had no relatives in the capital to turn to, not even a single place to go.
In the time Qinghe was grumbling internally, Mingyi had already made her intentions clear to the momo. The momo was clearly in a difficult position.
“There has been no summons from the main house. Why doesn’t Young Madam wait a little longer?”
Mingyi was done waiting. She said with a smile, “I have been here for three days. It is time I paid my respects to my mother-in-law.”
Seeing her insistence, the momo found it difficult to refuse. She instructed someone to go and announce them while personally leading Mingyi towards the main house.
The servants along the path held their breath, not daring to breathe loudly, and knelt one after another. The Pei family's rules were strict; no matter how much they disliked this madam of the house in their hearts, their outward etiquette could not be flawed in the slightest.
At this hour, Pei Yue's mother was not in the main house, but in the council hall managing household affairs.
Mingyi followed the momo to the council hall. Many female servants were gathered in the courtyard. Upon seeing her, each one of them revealed a strange look in their eyes and silently bent their knees in greeting.
The cold wind was piercing. In the early morning, the faint rays of the sun had been vaguely visible, but in this short time, the sky had become overcast with dark clouds, and fine threads of snow began to drift from mid-air.
Mingyi tightened her cloak and stood outside the corridor. She heard the momo announce her, but the person behind the desk seemed as if she had not heard a thing.
“Check these accounts again. Three hundred curtains were already purchased last year; if we are adding more this year, it shouldn’t be this many. Whichever branch submitted this account must explain the reason in detail for re-verification. If anyone is using procurement to line their own pockets, I will absolutely not tolerate it.”
Her voice was not loud, yet it possessed an authority that commanded respect without any show of anger.
It was clear that her mother-in-law was busy, so Mingyi was no longer in a hurry.
Pei Yue's mother, Xun-shi*, was indeed very busy. Every day from mao shi(5-7 AM) to the middle of si shi(11 AM), she had to manage clan affairs for over two full shichen(4 hours) before she could catch her breath.
[TL/N: Shi (氏) is a formal suffix added to a married woman's maiden surname. It essentially means "of the [Surname] clan" or "the woman from the [Surname] family."
Xun-shi (荀氏): This refers to Pei Yue's mother. Her maiden surname is Xun. By calling her "Xun-shi," it identifies her as "the woman from the Xun family" who married into the Pei family.
In ancient and imperial China, women did not typically take their husband's surname after marriage as they do in many Western cultures. Instead, they were often formally identified by their original family name followed by "shi". This is why I have kept the term "Xun-shi" in the translation, as there is no direct, single-word equivalent in English, and it also preserves this important cultural and historical nuance.]
Originally, she had hoped that once her son married, his wife could assist her, but now she no longer held such hopes.
This new wife came from the countryside and had never seen the world. She probably didn't even understand the meaning of the words 'household management', let alone taking the baton from her hands.
After sending out the last few approval slips on her desk, Xun-shi finally rubbed her sore neck. Without raising her head, she said, “Come in.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The voice was extremely clear. Only then did Xun-shi raise her eyes, only to see Mingyi stepping into the hall with her maidservant. That maidservant seemed unaware that this council hall was not a place one could enter casually, and had followed her in brazenly.
Xun-shi had no intention of correcting her and gestured with her hand for Mingyi to sit.
Of the mistress-servant pair, one was sitting and one was standing. The one sitting had an upright posture, dressed in a jade-green skirt suit, completely unadorned, appearing exceptionally clean and neat. Even her hair was styled in a very crisp bun; none of the dazzling hair ornaments from the betrothal gifts were used, with only a single jade hairpin shaped like a lotus clasping its bud inserted in her hair. She was not delicate or pretentious, and her gaze held almost no ripples.
Despite being made to wait for so long, her expression showed not a hint of grievance.
She was quite composed.
The one standing, dressed in a long blue-green robe, stood with a perfectly straight back, her brows as sharp as blades. If you gave her a sword, it was as if she could kill someone with it.
With their combined presence, they had managed to make the council hall, the symbol of the Pei residence's inner-household hub, feel like some kind of martial arts sect's hall.
This was the top-ranking noble house in the Great Jin, the most rule-abiding household in the entire capital.
Xun-shi sighed silently and got straight to the point.
“I hear you want to go out?”
Mingyi replied, “Yes. Today can be considered the bridal home-visit. This daughter-in-law plans to take her maid out for a stroll. I ask for Mother-in-law's permission.”
Xun-shi did not refuse directly, but said in a faint voice:
“Yue'er has already returned to the capital. He is reporting back in the palace right now. It's possible he might be back for the midday meal. If you wish to go out, wait a few more days until after the ceremonies are complete.”
Since Pei Yue was returning to the residence, there was no reason for Mingyi to leave.
As soon as these words fell, the announcement of a female servant came from the corridor outside, saying that the Master of the house had returned home.
Only then did a smile appear on Xun-shi's face. She led Mingyi out the door.
“Let's go. We'll return to my courtyard.”
Xun-shi, as the mother, naturally did not need to greet her son. She entered the room and ordered people to prepare the midday meal, while Mingyi stood with Qinghe outside the corridor to wait for Pei Yue.
A moment later, a person came walking through the hall up ahead.
The sky was at that point of being not yet dark but about to be. The wind grew heavier, and so did the snow.
That person was wearing a scarlet official's robe with a crane rank badge, covered by a black greatcloak. He strode unhurriedly in this direction. Upon reaching the steps, he noticed Mingyi. His gaze rested on her for a moment in quiet recognition. He raised his hands in a bow.
“I departed in a hurry on the day of the wedding procession. I hope Madam will be magnanimous enough to forgive me.”
The snowflakes rustled down. His shoulders did not sway, and the jade pendant he wore was silent. His refined bearing was carved into his very bones.
Mingyi had long heard that Pei Yue was acclaimed as the number one handsome man in the capital, but observing him up close today, she was still taken aback. His features were elegant and handsome, his thin eyelids carrying a sense of sharpness. His appearance was exceedingly noble. Standing tall and graceful as jade, it was as if he had materialized from this vast expanse of wind and snow. He truly was worthy of the four words 'magnificent and peerless'.
Mingyi bowed slightly in return. “It is of no consequence.”
That his new wife was so understanding was a slight surprise to Pei Yue, so he asked one more question, “Are the food and lodging to your satisfaction?”
This time, Mingyi smiled. “To eat my fill every day is very good.”
Her entire life had been one of displacement and turmoil, of sleeping on her weapon awaiting the dawn, of worrying endlessly about food and winter clothes. Now, in the Pei residence, where clothes were handed to her and food was brought to her mouth, she was truly living a good life.
Pei Yue heard the clarity and calmness in her tone, which did not sound like empty words, and felt relieved.
As if he were entertaining a guest, after the pleasantries, he led Mingyi into the room.
They performed their salutations and sat down. After the meal was finished, Pei Yue and Mingyi sat in the seats below Xun-shi, with a high table of a moderate width set between the two of them.
Xun-shi observed them for a while.
Her tall son sat upright in the round-backed armchair, his expression still revealing nothing. It was as if marrying anyone at all could not stir the slightest emotion in him.
She didn't know if he felt wronged, but in any case, she, his mother, felt wronged on his behalf.
Her son, born as the most honored eldest grandson of the legitimate line of the Pei family, had been raised in the lap of luxury. At seventeen, he became the top scholar in the imperial examinations. He was full of knowledge and strategy, possessed formidable abilities, traveled through Jiangnan to eliminate corrupt governance, and his reputation was outstanding wherever he went.
After just five years in the imperial court, he helped to reverse the decline of the Great Jin's national treasury. Then, three years after his father's passing, the emperor abruptly found a reason to kick out the old and muddle-headed Minister of Revenue and permitted him to enter and serve in the Grand Secretariat. He was now the youngest Grand Councilor in the Great Jin.
That detestable, reckless Old Master, just because he had shared a round of drinks with that country squire from Tanzhou, had muddle-headedly promised away Yue'er's marriage. If not for that, which young lady in the entire capital would not have been his for the choosing?
Forget it. Perhaps Heaven could not bear to see him have a perfect life and insisted that he suffer a bit in his marriage.
Xun-shi managed to console herself, then put on the airs of a mother and instructed the pair.
“From this day forward, you, as husband and wife, should live in harmony and beauty, discussing matters together. The man manages the outside, the woman manages the inside. A husband must know how to cherish his wife, and a wife must be considerate of her husband's hardships.....”
As she spoke, she found it somewhat difficult to continue. The two had vastly different backgrounds and different perspectives on the world. As for how they would live their lives in the future, Xun-shi worried on their behalf.
Pei Yue was pondering official business at court. Mingyi was thinking about where she could get some wine to drink. Their minds had long since wandered to the great void; neither of them took Xun-shi's words to heart.
Having listened cursorily, they then exited the main house. Pei Yue escorted Mingyi back to Changchun Hall, stopping before the door.
“I still have official business to attend to. Madam should rest first.”
The reason he had left on their wedding day was because the Northern Yan delegation, who were staying in a temporary imperial palace a hundred li* north of the capital's suburbs, had been robbed by vicious thugs. An important treasure was lost, implicating the diplomatic relations between the two nations.
[N: li = 500 meters]
It just so happened that the delegations from Northern Yan and Northern Qi had come to the capital to pay tribute, in order to trade for silk fabrics and ironware from the Great Jin. All related matters were being handled by Pei Yue, the Minister of Revenue. Everything, from start to finish, was in his hands, so he had no choice but to leave his new wife behind.
Having been away from the capital for three days, there was a pile of matters waiting for him. It was impossible for Pei Yue to accompany Mingyi.
Nor did he want to.
Mingyi looked at the man with the cold and detached features, unsure if he would come over tonight.
“You...” The word “Your Excellency” reached her lips before she swallowed it, changing her words to say:
“The Master of the house should feel free to attend to his official business. I will be fine.”
This was already the second time she had told him she would be “fine”. Pei Yue was gratified by his wife's thoughtfulness and turned to take his leave.
Mingyi returned to her room with Qinghe. The soughing sound of the snow was a good companion for sleep. She slept in one go until shen shi(3-5 PM) in the afternoon. By evening, the sky had completely darkened, and the world outside was wrapped in silver, yet there was no sign of Pei Yue coming to the rear courtyard for the evening meal. Mingyi paid it no mind, had the evening meal with her maid, took a stroll under the corridor, and then rested.
Qinghe drew a basin of hot water for her, preparing a medicinal bath and skillfully soothing her muscles and channels.
“Miss, is the Young Master coming to the rear courtyard tonight?”
Mingyi slowly sank her feet into the medicinal tub. After a moment of silence, she said, “You should go back to the side room to sleep tonight.”
Qinghe stared straight at her without a sound.
Mingyi knew what she was worried about. She stroked her brow and said with a smile, “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.”
After Qinghe left, Mingyi casually picked up a book from the bookshelf, leaned against a bolster on the heated couch, and began to read. She had slept for a long time during her afternoon nap and felt no sleepiness now. She read straight through until the third ke of hai shi(9:30 - 9:45 PM), only then finishing the storybook. Mingyi rubbed her eyes and heard the sound of exceptionally steady footsteps approaching from the corridor outside.
Needless to say, Pei Yue had returned.
Mingyi put the book away properly and rose to greet him.
A short while later, Pei Yue lifted the curtain and entered. As he raised his eyes, he came across a woman in plain robes standing gracefully under the lamp. The plain robe was held together only by a sash, the collar revealing a stretch of snow-white skin, giving her a somewhat lazy and casual air.
Pei Yue had likely not expected her to be not so neatly dressed and moved his gaze away in astonishment.
Mingyi's expression, however, did not change.
They would be living under the same roof from now on, seeing each other constantly. Wouldn't it be exhausting to be prim and proper every single day? If Pei Yue wanted to be particular, that was his business. In her own bedchamber, she had always been like this and saw no need to be guarded about it.
Separated by the bright light of the lamp, the two of them stood there silently.
Pei Yue, confirming from his peripheral vision that Mingyi had no intention of tidying herself up, endured it for a moment before calling for the momo to bring in the wine.
The momo had served Mingyi for several days and had already grown accustomed to her manner of dress. Holding the tray with the cups, she stood between the two of them.
“I invite the Master of the house and Madam to drink the nuptial wine.”
The crossing of cups was for outsiders to see. With no outsiders here, the two of them each drank their own wine and set down their cups.
The rite was complete. The momo withdrew.
Only then did Pei Yue move his gaze back to her.
“I usually rest late. I hope I will not disturb Madam's sleep.”
His gaze was level and direct, not straying to look elsewhere.
Mingyi said, “I have no fixed routine. Sometimes I sleep early, sometimes late. The Master of the house need not be concerned.”
The moment Pei Yue heard she had “no fixed routine,” his brow twitched.
He was different. Every day he slept at the end of hai shi(11 PM) and rose at the beginning of mao shi(5 AM). Barring any special summons, this was practically set in stone.
He had always heard that country folk worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, so their routines should be stable. It seemed that was not entirely the case.
Mingyi saw his thin lips move, as if he could not find anything else to say. She smiled and said, “Does the Master of the house drink tea?”
As she spoke, she moved to pour some.
Unexpectedly, the man opposite her looked at her seriously.
“After xu shi(7-9 AM) , I never drink tea.”
Drinking tea at night was harmful to the body.
The look in his eyes was very obvious, also reminding her not to drink tea at night.
Mingyi paused and silently withdrew her hand.
Perhaps they had no sense of being husband and wife, or perhaps the gap in their statuses was too great; they were so unfamiliar with each other that it could not even be called awkward.
Pei Yue stood for a moment. “I am going to change.”
He lifted his foot, walked around the screen, and entered the bathing chamber.
Mingyi had no awareness that she should follow and serve her husband. Although Pei Yue was polite to her, that faint trace of disdain could not be concealed. She would not ask for a rebuff.
Pei Yue obviously had no intention of consummating the marriage. As it happened, she had not prepared for it either.
This was his nuptial chamber. Having just arrived, it was not right for her to occupy his bedroom. Mingyi picked up her outer robe that was hanging on the screen and went towards the west side-room.
There was a soft couch there, suitable for her to sleep on.
Mingyi's night vision was excellent. Without even needing to light a lamp, she carried a bundle of bedding and got onto the couch.
Two ke(15 mins) later, Pei Yue emerged from the bathing chamber, neatly dressed.
Mingyi was no longer in the outer room. Beyond a screen was an elaborate canopied bed.
A red candle flickered slightly.
She must be asleep, he thought.
To suddenly consummate the marriage with a wife who was a complete stranger was something he truly could not do.
Since she had already married into the family, he could not let her be wronged. The master bedroom should be left to her.
Therefore, Pei Yue blew out the lamp in the outer room and also lifted his foot to walk towards the west side-room.