Chapter 2: Knocked Out And Sent Out

In the main courtyard of Earl Xuanning’s manor, the mistress of the house, Madam Zhou, had been busy all day and had already changed into her nightclothes. “Everything sorted?”

Auntie Tian removed the hairpins from Madam Zhou’s coiffure and replied respectfully, “Almost done, only the things at the door haven’t been inventoried.”

Madam Zhou rubbed her temples. “Keep an eye on it and handle anything that comes up yourself. I’m a bit tired, it’s time to sleep.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Not long after Auntie Tian left, Tang Minglun came in, saw his wife already in her nightclothes and frowned. “Ning’s wedding is tomorrow. You should go over tonight and take a look.”

Madam Zhou sipped her tea slowly. “What’s this about taking a look? Can I marry the man on behalf of her or perform the wedding rites for her? Every woman goes through this. If you talk too much she only gets more nervous. I’d rather get everything else in order and prepared, so that if anything goes wrong the Second Prince won’t be displeased.”

Tang Minglun frowned harder. “What kind of talk is that? My eldest brother has only this one daughter…”

“That’s precisely why I’m so dutiful to her,” Madam Zhou set down her teacup and went to the bedside. “You’re a man, you don’t understand. At this critical moment, if I don’t go, Sister Ning can relax a bit, sleep well, and be in good spirits tomorrow, all of which will please the Second Prince as well.”

Tang Minglun still hesitated. “But about matters concerning their wedding night? I think you ought to teach her a bit…”

“Isn’t there that old manual kept under the trunk?” Madam Zhou yawned. “If she doesn’t know, won’t the Second Prince know? It’s not as if he hasn’t had practice.”

“What are you saying? Our Ning is the principal consort, not one of those loose girls outside…”

“All the more reason not to teach her anything about this sort of thing. She’d be inexperienced and innocent, pure and uncorrupted. Isn’t that the sort of thing you men like?”

While the couple’s nighttime conversation was just beginning, the intimate chat between the two sisters had already ended.

The reason was that Tang Wanlan accidentally found the manual… the kind of illustrated book kept under the trunk for a bride-to-be to read before her wedding.

When the things were brought in, Tang Wanning absentmindedly left it on the bedside chest instead. Unexpectedly, Tang Wanlan, while fidgeting about, knocked that book into the space between them and it fell open.

Even in the dim light, the content was shocking and the scene unbearably awkward. Tang Wanlan was mortified and didn’t cling to Tang Wanning to chat any longer.

They hadn’t been that close to begin with, nor had they that many things to say anyway.

After a short while the room quieted, and all that could be heard was the two of them breathing steadily.

After who knew how long, there was a rustling at the bedside. It was Tang Wanning putting on her clothes and getting out of bed to go to the bathroom.

When she stepped out of the room she noticed a shadow flicker behind her, someone following her… she wasn’t afraid, but rather reassured.

She walked calmly to the bathroom, did her business, tidied her garments, smoothed her hair, finally pulled the golden hairpin from her head and held it in her hand, took two deep breaths, and then left the chamber.

Counting in her head, the shadow behind drew closer and closer, and finally raised its hand.

Tang Wanning tilted herself at an exquisitely subtle angle so the person’s hand landed on the side of her neck. She adjusted into a position that wouldn’t hurt on impact and then “fainted.”

In the room, Tang Wanlan’s mouth twitched into a delighted smile. She hadn’t slept a wink because she’d been waiting for this moment!

…

Tang Wanning was soon placed into a carriage and quietly taken out of the city.

She could roughly guess what the plan was: Tang Wanlan intended to marry in her stead.

Ever since the marriage was arranged, Tang Wanlan had been setting things in motion, but the Second Prince had insisted on the original bride, and the old Tang Wanning was stubbornly careful, she managed to avert many mishaps. With no other option, Tang Wanlan had to take an unorthodox route and prepare this final strike.

Pulling off such a thing is of course difficult. The perfect plan would be to make it look like the bride-to-be ran away with another man before her wedding, take her out of the house and secretly kill her so she’d never return, but that would seem illogical. Everyone could see how much the old Tang Wanning liked the Second Prince. Why would she suddenly run away? To engineer an escape you’d have to arrange a male accomplice, but the previous Tang Wanning was too timid to even leave the house, so how could such a thing even be arranged? Moreover, even though Tang Wanning felt like an outsider and inferior to everyone else, yet her presence was actually important to the house of Earl Xuanning. After all, she’s the orphan daughter of a meritorious official and a blood niece. If Tang Minglun treated her poorly, the household’s reputation and future would clearly suffer. Tang Wanlan’s own reputation wouldn’t fare well either, and even if she got her wish, it would always be stained. So it’s best to think of every excuse, draft every detail, prepare all the contingencies, then temporarily send Tang Wanning away, which would eventually result in the wrong person delivered to the groom… In the end, the younger sister would seem like a sensible person who was willing to substitute the bride. And once she had slept with the Second Prince and became pregnant, it would be too late to change anything. She could just beg Tang Wanning for forgiveness and all would be well again.

The old Tang Wanning was weak and ineffectual, so easy to manipulate. Tang Wanlan just needed to beg, pressure, and push whichever way she wanted. What could possibly fail?

Of course the previous attempt failed because the original Tang Wanning had shown some backbone at the wedding, chasing Tang Wanlan away the night before and refusing to eat or drink anything. But this Tang Wanning was different. After all, she just drank that doctored tea, didn’t she?

Because the plan was aborted before it could be executed, the original book did not write it out in great detail. Over the three days since she transmigrated, Tang Wanning observed carefully and noted many details, piecing together the general shape of the plot. The only problem was that she had transmigrated at a terrible time. Had she arrived earlier she would have had better ways to evade this marriage rather than having to go with the flow and be vigilant at all times, lest someone truly sell her out.

No matter how clear her thinking or confident her analysis, she still had to guard against the unforeseen. The fainting was an act. With her eyes closed she couldn’t look around, but her ears could still listen to everything.

“She really did come out of the room…”

“Be careful when getting her into your carriage, tend to her well. This young mistress must not be mistreated!”

“Why are you speaking so harshly? We just have to get her to the other house…”

“In any case, be careful. Get her safely to the manor and we won’t have anything to answer for…”

Tang Wanning heard clearly: there was only one carriage and two people, a coachman and an older woman. The older woman’s voice sounded low and powerful, as if she knew some fighting. Both sat outside, apparently confident in the fainted, fragile young mistress.

Tang Wanning was not at ease. She listened for any sound and dared not close her eyes. Only when the sky at the corner of the window lightened to dawn and the manor was in sight did she relax, reinsert the golden hairpin, tilt her head, and fall asleep. Even when the older woman carried her into the manor’s side chamber she did not wake.

…

Today was the Second Prince’s wedding. Before dawn the streets were already bustling. The Second Prince’s residence was decorated with lanterns and all manner of festivity, and the Earl Xuanning residence also had continuous firecrackers, full of joy.

The makeup artist arrived early, sweating profusely, speaking auspicious words as she went into the bride’s room, only to be told the bride’s makeup was already done and the bridal veil already in place.

All her auspicious phrases were stuck in her throat and the makeup artist almost couldn’t control her expression. “What? The makeup’s done?” Say that again! I haven’t even arrived! How is the makeup already done!“

Madam Zhou hurriedly shoved a thick red envelope of money forward. “This… the child doesn’t know better. She barely slept last night. Seeing it was still early she tried to play with makeup herself. You’ve seen so much you’ll understand, a girl about to be married can be a bit uncontrollable. If it were just playing with makeup that would be fine: we’d have her wash it off and let you redo it. But she even put on the veil… You know, once the veil is on, the groom must lift it himself. Even the bride lifting it herself or anyone else lifting it would be inauspicious…”

The makeup artist felt her anger dissipate once she pinched the fat red envelope. Though still annoyed she only snorted, “That’s agreed then: if the makeup looks bad when the veil is lifted, don’t blame me for it.”

Madam Zhou smiled. “Don’t worry. My niece is refined, her makeup skill is actually quite good. I’ve scolded her too. The Second Prince is so pleased he petitioned to marry her himself, he likely won’t blame her. If anything unexpected happens it certainly won’t implicate you… After the ceremony, the Second Prince’s household might be especially pleased and give you a little something!”

Having been sufficiently compensated, the makeup artist kept quiet and told no one about the matter.

There were no further disturbances. When the bride appeared in a bright red wedding robe she was dignified and graceful. She kept to the custom of not speaking, was silent, and yet her bearing alone was enchanting. As for the attendant by her side not being Xiaoman, the Earl’s household quietly explained: Xiaoman had caused a bit of trouble last night and had been grounded to learn proper etiquette first. She couldn’t go to the Second Prince’s residence and bring shame, could she?

Everyone murmured: Of course, of course.

There was only one thing: when the Second Prince personally greeted the bride, she cried. Crying at a wedding was a custom, but crying too long was inauspicious and could ruin the makeup and make her look bad to the groom, so the crowd began to tease, “The bride is bashful!”

“This beloved groom couldn’t be more perfect! She’s so excited she cried before even meeting him!”

“Hurry, hurry, groom, come in and escort your bride away!”

Amid the jeering and cheering the bridal sedan was lifted, music played, and the noisy procession went all the way to the Second Prince’s residence.

Then the newlyweds performed the rites, bowing to heaven and earth as they took their oaths. The crowd watched, the ritual completed, and they were sent into the bridal chamber. The Second Prince, having personally taken the bride, was very down-to-earth about it.

Outside the city at the manor, Tang Wanning, who had slept a full day, opened her eyes.

“How is she still asleep… The master is in the middle of a daughter’s wedding, while this young lady came here… These sisters… I hope nothing bad happened?”

“Well… judging by the timing, the other side’s probably in the bridal chamber by now. Wouldn’t this one be heartbroken to death?”

“Heartbroken… and she can still sleep this soundly?”

Tang Wanning sat up and cracked her neck. She’d really slept that long? That was fine with her. The past few days since she transmigrated, she’d been tense, watching Tang Wanlan’s movements and hardly resting. This sleep had been fairly comfortable.

She was about to get up when she heard a commotion outside.

“Oh no! Something’s caught fire! The outside is on fire!”

“It’s burning around our manor!”

“What are we to do, the roof was just repaired!”

“Now’s not the time to worry about roofs, run!”

Tang Wanning cursed her bad luck and flung the door open. “What’s all this noise!”

Startled, the people in the courtyard saw a pair of delicate hands, wrists pale as jade. The girl’s skirt fluttered like a butterfly, her cheeks pearly and moist, like a ripe peach and plum, her dark brows arched slightly into her temples, lending a spirited, heroic air as if the world’s vitality had concentrated in her.

The courtyard suddenly became quiet.

This other manor belonged to Earl Xuanning, and this young woman was the young mistress of the Earl’s house, their mistress! The people at once had a leader to rally around and babbled together, summarizing the situation: a ring of fire had suddenly surrounded the manor and was closing in, about to burn through!

“Why so anxious,” Tang Wanning felt something was amiss. “Where’s the highest point here? Put up a ladder, I’ll climb up and take a look.”

Everyone wanted to stop her out of duty, but… the young mistress radiated such authority that no one dared refuse. They fetched a ladder and, with expectant eyes, helped Tang Wanning up.

Tang Wanning climbed to the roof and realized something was wrong: this wasn’t some accidental fire outside the house at all. That ring of fire was made of torches, closing in, aimed at encircling them!

They were here to seize someone!