Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

A few days later, the Xia family welcomed another person—Aunt Wang.

Since the embarrassing incident last time, Aunt Wang hadn't visited again. But today, she not only came, but also brought more than a dozen bolts of fine silk. The moment she entered, her lips never left her mouth.

Xia Rongliu didn't even need to send Xiao Lü to find out the news; she could hear Aunt Wang's loud voice clearly in the courtyard: it turned out that Wang Jiaying's marriage had been arranged.

"Oh my, you didn't see the grandeur! The betrothal gifts were displayed right at the alley entrance, and the steward who came was so polite and refined. You don't know why, but the things he said were so comforting! I only have one son and one daughter in my life. My son is fine, but I'm most worried about my daughters being taken advantage of. Now, I can finally relax!"

Xia Rongliu found it amusing. It was true that she disliked Wang Jiaying, but she wouldn't do anything to her. Lin Shi wasn't a petty person either; the only person she didn't like in the whole family was Old Madam Xia.

It's not that Old Lady Xia and Aunt Wang have any grudges; on the contrary, the two sisters-in-law have a pretty good relationship. It's just that Old Lady Xia is a natural jealous person; she can become sour with just a little water, let alone Aunt Wang, who is more prone to direct jealousy.

All I heard her say was, "The Wei family of Qingzhou? What's their background? Are they really that good?"

These words were like a perfect comedian delivered to her doorstep, and Aunt Wang's eyebrows shot up: "What are you saying! The Wei family has three sons. The eldest son is a Hanlin scholar in the capital, the second son is the governor of Suzhou, and the third son is quiet and loves to read. He doesn't like to deal with household affairs, so he stays at home as an idle person. But that's good, because from now on, all the affairs of the family will be managed by the third son."

"Moreover," Aunt Wang lowered her voice, feigning mystery, "they also have an extraordinary relative, the Wei family's niece, who is none other than the current Empress!"

Wow! This is truly explosive news. Both Lin Shi and Xia Rongliu were stunned, and Old Madam Xia was even more direct: "It's true!"

Seeing everyone's reaction, Aunt Wang smoothed her sideburns with satisfaction: "How could it be false? Making up stories about the royal family is punishable by beheading!"

To the Xia family, a small, unsophisticated family in town, the Empress was no less than the Queen Mother of the West. Aunt Wang boasted about it and left, telling Xia Zhishu about it that evening. Xia Zhishu was also quite surprised: "That really is a perfect marriage."

Madam Lin nodded: "Who says otherwise? Then we must prepare the gifts. Although the two families have some disagreements, we are still proper relatives. It would be inappropriate to give meager gifts."

Xia Zhishu nodded, and the couple exchanged a few words of reflection before going to bed. However, Xia Rongliu, who was in the next room, couldn't sleep.

The Empress, she's someone I knew before...

Aunt Wang was eager to show off her daughter's good marriage, so the entire engagement ceremony was grand and solemn. The banquet lasted for three days, and almost everyone in the county came. The chefs from Wangyuelou Restaurant were specially invited to cook the meal, and Xia Rongliu ate to her heart's content. She had long since learned to eat by herself, and she used chopsticks and spoons skillfully and steadily. Many women envied her for being so sensible and worry-free, praising her repeatedly. Xia Rongliu accepted all the compliments with a smile.

The only regret was that the groom did not come. The Ning family steward, dressed in a bamboo-green long robe, said apologetically, "The third young master caught a cold a few days ago. He originally wanted to come, but he was afraid of disrupting the festive atmosphere, so my lady had to send the second young master to help. It's just a pity for Miss Wang."

Aunt Wang, seeing the engagement gifts being carried in by the Wei family like a flowing stream, had long since lost her dissatisfaction. With a smile on her face, she waved her hand and said, "Don't mention it. We'll be family soon, no need to worry about these formalities! Everyone gets sick sometimes, my dear in-laws, you're too kind!"

When Aunt Wang said this, the steward readily agreed and stopped the conversation, presenting the gift list with both hands. The Wang family members beamed with joy as they looked at the generous gifts on the list, and hurriedly invited the steward into the house to have a few drinks. Only Lin Shi, who was standing to the side, frowned slightly.

Xia Rongliu's engrossed eating displeased Old Madam Xia. Already feeling a bit resentful, she took it all out on Rongliu. When she got home, she scolded Lin Shi: "Yinyin isn't an ignorant girl anymore. Girls grow up quickly, so you should be more mindful of your behavior. We're here to eat at a banquet, not to beg for food. All you do is eat, it's shameful!"

Lin had never heard of going out to a banquet on an empty stomach. Moreover, although Rongliu ate a lot, she did not wolf down her food at all. On the contrary, she ate small bites, chewed slowly, sat upright, and had excellent table manners. Everyone at the banquet praised her. Why be so critical of a child?

However, Madam Lin wouldn't confront Old Madam Xia. Before she could speak, Xia Zhishu, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in, "Mother, we're all family, there's no need for such formalities." She picked up Xia Rongliu and teased her, "Is Yinyin full yet?"

Xia Rongliu replied loudly, "I'm full!"

Xia Zhishu burst into laughter, tickling his daughter's armpits as the two of them laughed together. The father, looking like a silly dad, said to his mother, "Mom, I don't know why, but whenever I see Rongliu happy, I feel happy too!"

Old Mrs. Xia, filled with anger, rolled her eyes and chased the family of three away with a look of disgust.

Xia Zhishu was unwilling to leave, and instead hugged Xia Rongliu and went up to her mother to be affectionate: "Mother, touch Yinyin's little tummy, she's really full from eating."

Old Mrs. Xia said with a look of disgust, "She's the only one at the table who's been eating like crazy. If she doesn't fill up, who will?" As she spoke, her hand unconsciously reached out to touch Xia Rongliu's little belly.

Xia Rongliu felt ticklish from being touched. A hair from her father got into her nose as she twisted and turned. She sniffed but couldn't help it. "Achoo!" A big sneeze sprayed her mother's face with saliva.

Old Lady Xia's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. After taking several deep breaths, she finally roared, "You brat! Did you do this on purpose?!"

Xia Zhishu grabbed Xia Rongliu and ran away with his head in his hands.

After the engagement ceremony, Aunt Wang started visiting the Xia family every day, which annoyed Old Madam Xia to no end. In the end, she simply went to the neighbor's house to chat with her old friends.

Aunt Wang came one after another, but since her main source of pride, Old Madam Xia, was no longer around, and no matter what Lin Shi said, she would only respond with a gentle, flawless smile, Xia Rongliu was just a little girl who didn't know how to show off at all, and in the end, she could only leave in loneliness.

It's not that Aunt Wang has any bad intentions; it's just that she and Old Lady Xia are exactly the same kind of people. They love to show off when something good happens, want to take advantage of any benefits, and want to be on top of the world when they feel a little proud. It's a kind of entertainment for them.

Fortunately, the wedding day came quickly. Old Mrs. Xia prepared herself mentally for several days before finally putting on a smiling face to attend the wedding. The entire wedding was even grander and more lively than the engagement ceremony. Not only the town of Changshui, but even the county magistrate came to offer his congratulations. Aunt Wang's face never lost its joy.

Getting married is an extremely tedious and tiring affair. Just watching from the sidelines, Xia Rongliu was already exhausted and rested in her mother's arms. After a busy day, it was finally noon. The bride was all ready and waiting for the groom to come and pick her up.

But they waited and waited, and the auspicious time was about to pass, yet there was still no one outside the gate. The Wang family couldn't help but get anxious. Just as Uncle Wang was about to hitch up the carriage to go and check, the Wei family's steward ran in with a panicked expression: "N-no, something bad has happened!"