Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 121

Chapter 121: Dowry, Cui Zi Xuan

At that moment, Cui Zi Xuan’s voice came from outside, “Ah’Mi, get out of the carriage.”

Jiang Mi responded with a “Yes” and slowly lifted the carriage curtain.

She was on a wide street, with two neat rows of servants standing on both sides. At the end of the street, the main gate, inscribed with “Cui Clan of Boling,” gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight.

So this was the main residence of the Cui Clan of Boling?

Jiang Mi couldn’t describe the feeling. The residence stood not far away, clearly not more magnificent than the Shu State Emperor’s palace, nor did it appear to be particularly decorated, yet its mere presence there gave her a feeling of being unable to breathe.

Jiang Mi was unaware that this feeling stemmed from the awe-inspiring power of the phrase “millennial aristocratic family,” unrelated to the grandeur of the mansion. Its true weight lay in the significance the mansion represented and the refined demeanor cultivated by its descendants over hundreds of years, even millennia.

Cui Zi Xuan clearly understood the unease that non-aristocratic scions might feel upon arriving here. He stepped forward, subtly positioning himself half a step in front of Jiang Mi.

While Jiang Mi was lost in thought, she suddenly recognized Cui Zi Xuan’s familiar figure and his smiling eyes, instantly boosting her confidence.

So, she gave Cui Zi Xuan a sweet smile.

At this moment, all the servants and clerks waiting on both sides of the street were observing Jiang Mi. Seeing how quickly she had recovered, some gave imperceptible nods.

At this moment, Cui Zi Xuan said gently, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Mi hummed in agreement.

So, the two of them started walking together towards the Cui Clan of Boling’s main gate.

As they walked, the people on either side remained quietly waiting.

Jiang Mi walked cautiously, glancing at the servants. Her expression changed immediately upon seeing them: the men and women before her were all imposing and elegant; even the elderly with white hair possessed an air of authority. “How could they be considered servants?”

Walking behind Jiang Mi, the Three Mothers held their breath, looking at the nearly one thousand servants of the Cui Clan of Boling. Mother Gong thought with a flustered heart, “No wonder people say that only those from three generations or more can be considered cultured. These young ladies don’t look like servants at all! They are practically more like princesses than my young lady!”

At the same time, Mother Li was also observing. She glanced at Jiang Mi standing side by side with Cui Zi Xuan and thought to herself, “Young Lady’s indeed very lucky!”

Cui Zi Xuan led Jiang Mi into the Cui Clan of Boling’s main gate.

Some people were also waiting inside the main gate.

Among these people were men and women, young and old, each possessing their own aura, each commanding respect and radiating an air of haughtiness. Each gaze held a disdainful arrogance, yet it was an elegant conceit.

Every man here resembled a royal emperor more than the Emperor of Shu and the Nanping Emperor that Jiang Mi had ever seen!

Was this the bearing of aristocratic scions? Captivating at first sight? Making one feel utterly inferior?

Jiang Mi was secretly alarmed. Little did she know that no matter how noble a scion of a family, if they so desired, they could effortlessly exude a warm and welcoming presence. Her current feeling of inferiority was merely the result of this deliberate pressure.

Cui Zi Xuan glanced at them, his expression unchanged, and led Jiang Mi to greet each of them. He then turned to Cui Ziying, who was standing behind him, and asked, “Ziying, is Grandma here?”

Cui Ziying came out with a smile and said, “Grandma has been waiting for you.”

Cui Zi Xuan nodded and led Jiang Mi to the right.

At this moment, Jiang Mi’s legs were really weak, and her mind was a mess. If she hadn’t remembered Cui Zi Xuan’s teachings, she would have already lowered her head and shrunk behind him.

Even now, though she stood tall and proud, she was actually feeling weak and flustered, her feet barely touching the ground. She couldn’t possibly remember looking at the scenery or observing anything.

After an unknown amount of time, Cui Zi Xuan’s voice drifted into her mind from afar, “Ah’Mi, we’ve arrived.”

It was Cui Zi Xuan who led her to a loft.

At this moment, Cui Zi Xuan noticed Jiang Mi’s unusual behavior. He stopped and glanced at the maids standing in front of the loft, causing their mocking smiles to freeze instantly. Then, Cui Zi Xuan looked at Jiang Mi.

He reached out and gently took Jiang Mi’s hand. Noticing that her palm was damp, Cui Zi Xuan became serious. Looking down at Jiang Mi, Cui Zi Xuan said in a deep voice, “Ah’Mi, look up at me.”

Jiang Mi looked up in response.

Cui Zi Xuan looked at her gently and said softly, “Ah’Mi, do you think the most noble people live longer than the most lowly?”

Jiang Mi was taken aback. She shook her head and said, “Of course not.”

Cui Zi Xuan chuckled, “Yes, of course not!”

Jiang Mi met Cui Zi Xuan’s gaze, her eyes gradually clearing. She thought to herself, “What’s there for me to revere? The Cui Clan of Boling was the most powerful, but their descendants die just like everyone else.”

At this moment, her thoughts turned to what Cui Ziying had said. In the past ten years, eight out of ten of the younger generation of the Cui Clan of Boling had perished—what an alarming mortality rate!

It turned out that no matter how noble or remarkable a person was, they were equally helpless in the face of death. In fact, these scions of powerful families were even more precarious than ordinary people. Jiang Mi finally felt from the bottom of her heart that the Cui Clan of Boling wasn’t such a big deal after all.

Seeing that she had regained her composure, Cui Zi Xuan stepped inside.

As he crossed the threshold, Cui Zi Xuan said lightly to the maids waiting on either side, “Disrespectful to your elders, go and receive your punishment!”

The maids all turned pale. They bowed in unison and replied in trembling voices, “Yes!”

The loft where Old Madam Cui resided was very ordinary, so ordinary that everything inside was designed for comfort, without any extravagance.

Cui Zi Xuan led Jiang Mi into a side room. Facing an elderly woman sitting on a couch, looking at him with a kind expression, he happily called out, “Grandmother, your grandson’s back!”

The old woman, with her silver hair and dignified bearing, waved to Cui Zi Xuan, smiling as she gestured for him to sit down, then turned to look at Jiang Mi.

She lovingly looked Jiang Mi up and down and said with a smile, “Child, this will be your home from now on.”

For some reason, the old woman’s simple words moved Jiang Mi deeply, making her feel an overwhelming urge to risk her life for her.

Jiang Mi, of course, was unaware that many people in positions of power possess a special kind of personal charisma. He could shower you with praise with a single sentence or leave you utterly terrified! This charm, a combination of aura, upbringing, and a complex web of unspoken methods, could be cultivated; in aristocratic families, there was even a well-established system for nurturing such a person.

Cui Zi Xuan brought Jiang Mi to meet his grandmother, and indeed, they did. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Cui Zi Xuan and Jiang Mi took their leave.

As soon as he left the loft, he had Jiang Mi taken to a mansion in Mingzhou City. In other words, Jiang Mi would be formally married from this mansion.

…

The distinguished guests who had accompanied Cui Zi Xuan were now gathered in Mingzhou City. It was said that several more very important figures were on their way.

With some time still remaining before the auspicious wedding day, Jiang Mi, the soon-to-be bride, suddenly found herself with plenty of free time.

Although she had free time, Jiang Mi couldn’t stay still. With her wedding fast approaching and the sounds of music emanating from Mingzhou City, Jiang Mi was incredibly restless.

After resting in the mansion for three days, Jiang Mi finally couldn’t sit still any longer. She decided to go for a walk.

Upon hearing Jiang Mi’s request, Mother Gong was about to object, but Mother Li, standing to the side, chuckled, “Young Lady, if you’re bored, go for a walk.” She turned to the other two Mothers and added with a smile, “Don’t worry about it. This is Young Master Cui’s territory; the princess won’t be in danger.”

Hearing this… The other two Mothers were also relieved.

Jiang Mi applied a little makeup to her face, put on a veil, and went out.

Mingzhou City was by the sea. During the Tang Dynasty, it wasn’t considered a particularly prosperous place. Even now, many people didn’t understand why the Cui Clan of Boling chose Mingzhou City as their base after the fall of the Tang Dynasty.

Only Jiang Mi, upon hearing these words, thought to herself: Mingzhou City was by the sea; the sea was deep and wide, and there were islands too. With a little preparation, there was a way out in case of war.

Mingzhou City was very large. After years of development by the Cui Clan of Boling, its prosperity could rival that of Shu Capital.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, Jiang Mi felt hungry. Hearing the strains of opera playing from a restaurant ahead, she went inside.

Once inside, she ordered two dishes from the waiter and began to eat.

All around her were customers intently watching the opera. Jiang Mi had never been interested in opera and didn’t bother to look towards the stage.

At this moment, one of the guests at the table behind her said, “The world’s opera is most renowned in Cheng Capital. If it weren’t for Young Master Cui’s wedding, we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such authentic Sichuan opera!”

Then, his companion asked, “I heard that Cui Zi Xuan’s bride’s a penniless nobody? Even though she’s called a Princess, she can’t even afford a dowry?”

This question piqued the interest of the crowd, and someone immediately chimed in, “Cui Zi Xuan’s dowry is equivalent to the entire treasury of a state! He’s so wealthy, if his woman doesn’t have a dowry, so be it!”

“Nonsense!” an old man retorted. “A dowry represents a woman’s social standing. If Lady Jiang can’t afford a dowry, she will always be ridiculed.”

The surrounding crowd echoed:

“Yes, yes, marrying Cui Zi Xuan… How could someone like her not have a dowry?”

“I wonder what Cui Zi Xuan saw in her?”

“Since this woman was accepted by the Cui Clan of Boling, she must have some outstanding qualities. Although it isn’t something to be discussed openly about her not having a dowry, it’s best if everyone refrains from saying such things.”

“Yes, yes, best to say less.”

“Of course we have to be careful in Mingzhou, but the more elaborate Young Master Cui’s wedding is, the more distinguished guests from all the states there will be, and the more people will laugh at us later…”

The people in the restaurant were still gossiping, but Jiang Mi couldn’t listen.

She lowered her head and walked out of the restaurant along the corner of the wall, not in the mood to stroll around, and quickly returned to her mansion.

Once back in her room, Jiang Mi took out the wooden box she had just buried in the wall bricks. She opened the box, pondered for a long time, and then took out two items. She carefully placed the rest, along with the box, into a wooden chest selected from Cui Zi Xuan’s dowry.

After tidying up, Jiang Mi put the wooden chest away.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Since arriving at this courtyard, Jiang Mi hadn’t seen Cui Zi Xuan. She knew he was very busy; important people were arriving in Mingzhou City every day, and she’d heard that almost all the main factions from The Five Noble Houses and Seven Surnames had already arrived.

The more bustling Mingzhou City became, the less Jiang Mi dared to go out, because almost everyone was talking about her—from her background and family to how much Cui Zi Xuan valued her to her appearance. At the same time, Jiang Mi always heard people mention her dowry.

Having heard it so much, one day, Jiang Mi couldn’t bear it any longer.

She had someone inform Cui Mansion that she wished to see Cui Zi Xuan.

Normally, unmarried men and women weren’t allowed to meet before marriage, especially in a family like the Cui Clan of Boling, where rules were extremely strict. But in this chaotic world, it seemed that all rules were unimportant. Jiang Mi’s request was approved immediately.

Jiang Mi then rode in a carriage towards Cui Mansion. As they traveled, through the fluttering carriage curtains, Jiang Mi caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure. “Huh, isn’t that Wang Yi, the descendant of the former Shu royal family? Why has he come to offer congratulations?”

She only glanced at him before turning away uninterested.

This time, she arrived silently, naturally entering through a side door.

Upon entering Cui Mansion… Jiang Mi was led by the steward to Cui Zi Xuan’s courtyard. As they walked, the steward respectfully said, “Young Madam, please wait here. Young Master returned last night and should be back tonight as well.”

Jiang Mi nodded and stepped into the courtyard.

Cui Zi Xuan’s courtyard was large, perhaps because he was rarely home. There were few servants, making it seem quite spacious. Judging from Cui Zi Xuan’s words, their wedding wouldn’t be held here.

After the steward left, Jiang Mi told the servants not to follow her and wandered around the noticeably quiet courtyard.

Hmm. The study was large, filled with many books, and arranged in a way Jiang Mi recognized.

Cui Zi Xuan’s bedroom was also very elegant, with flowing curtains and black-painted pillars, making it appear exceptionally spacious and tranquil.

The courtyard was enormous, containing not only two gardens of this size but also a large lake within them.

Because this place bore the marks of Cui Zi Xuan everywhere, Jiang Mi could imagine him sitting and reading here, even on a smooth stone, and she lingered there, reluctant to leave.

After wandering around for an unknown amount of time, Jiang Mi arrived at the martial arts training ground.

Huh? Why was there such a large bathhouse in the training ground?

By this time, Jiang Mi was tired from walking around; the weather was hot and humid, and she was covered in sweat. Since she had instructed that none of Cui’s servants were to follow her, not one of them had indeed followed. Of course, Jiang Mi knew this was because the servants didn’t truly accept her and were deliberately cold towards her. However, this coldness was a rare moment of peace for Jiang Mi right now.

Jiang Mi’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the pool of clear water in the bathhouse. She peeked out, and finding no one around, carefully closed the door, took off her clothes, and jumped in.

Although the weather was hot, the water was too cold. Jiang Mi jumped out after only a short soak. She dried her hair, put her clothes back on, and left the bathhouse, yawning.

She was so tired; she might as well take a nap in this bedchamber.

Hmm, this bed smelled so good; it seemed very comfortable.

Jiang Mi rolled around on the large bed a few times, hugged the jade pillow, and fell asleep with a smile.

…

Jiang Mi was startled awake by a series of whispers.

Opening her eyes, she saw the still hot sunlight outside and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As Jiang Mi jumped out of bed, she heard footsteps outside, followed by Cui Zi Xuan’s voice, “Get ready!”

“Yes!”

It really was Cui Zi Xuan! Her Young Master Cui was back!

Lovers in love always felt like they’d been separated for ages, and Jiang Mi hadn’t seen Cui Zi Xuan for almost ten days, her longing already intense. Hearing his voice now made her bones melt.

Excited, Jiang Mi jumped barefoot out of bed, about to run out, when her eyes darted around, and she quietly opened the door.

Jiang Mi had just followed the sound to the edge of the training ground when she saw Cui Zi Xuan standing there, on the white jade-based training ground. He had taken off his clothes, revealing a muscular, inverted triangle physique clad only in underpants.

This was the first time Jiang Mi had ever seen a half-naked man, especially the man she loved.

Instantly, Jiang Mi blushed crimson with embarrassment and quickly hid in the shadows.

The training ground wasn’t large, containing some weapons and straw figures. Cui Zi Xuan stood there expressionless, his figure, turned slightly to Jiang Mi, exuding a ferocity she had never seen before!

Just then, several burly men entered, each carrying a small wooden bucket.

Cui Zi Xuan slowly drew his sword and said coldly, “Come on!”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a burly man poured the contents of the wooden bucket onto Cui Zi Xuan!

Good heavens! It was blood! A whole bucket of blood!

A bucket of blood poured out, instantly soaking Cui Zi Xuan from head to toe. Cui Zi Xuan didn’t move, letting the blood flow down his hair, cheeks, and onto his muscular chest.

He slowly raised his sword, and with a “thud,” the sword beheaded a straw doll, then another, and another!

Cui Zi Xuan’s movements grew faster and faster, his aura more and more ferocious.

Amidst the flashing swords, Cui Zi Xuan’s chilling shout rang out again, “Again!”

“Splash—” A bucket of blood was poured over!

A moment later, Cui Zi Xuan’s shout rose again, “Come!”

“Splash,” another bucket of blood was poured over!

Cui Zi Xuan wasn’t particularly strong in martial arts. After practicing for a while, his stamina was clearly failing. He collapsed to his knees with a thud, supporting himself on his sword with one hand.

With Cui Zi Xuan’s kneeling, the surrounding servants followed suit without hesitation.

In the jade arena splattered with blood, Cui Zi Xuan knelt there on one knee, streaks of blood flowing from his hair down his chin and onto the ground.

Jiang Mi had already shrunk into a corner in fright when the big man poured blood on Cui Zi Xuan. At this moment, she stared blankly at Cui Zi Xuan kneeling there, feeling an indescribable sorrow and pain emanating from him!

After an unknown amount of time, Cui Zi Xuan, who had been kneeling motionless with his head bowed, spoke. His voice was hoarse as he slowly asked, “Chen Jiu, how many is this?”

The burly man who had first spilled blood on Cui Zi Xuan nodded his head and replied, “The fifth.”

Cui Zi Xuan’s kneeling figure was like a blood-stained statue; he remained motionless, but his hoarse voice seemed to carry a sob, “The fifth this year! Now, only twenty-two of my young disciples, the Cui Clan of Boling, remain!”

As soon as he finished speaking, several burly men simultaneously banged their foreheads against the ground, wailing.

Cui Zi Xuan lowered his head, and Jiang Mi saw tears slowly slide down his long, frosted eyelashes, gradually carving a deep furrow into his blood-covered face… Seeing Cui Zi Xuan like this, Jiang Mi felt a pang of heartache.

After a moment, Cui Zi Xuan slowly stood up.

Once he stood up, his face was expressionless. “That’s enough. Prepare my clothes; I want to bathe!”

“Yes!”

As soon as the burly men stood up, Cui Zi Xuan turned and walked towards the bathhouse.

A little over half an hour later, when Cui Zi Xuan reappeared, he was dressed in a brocade robe with a gentle smile. He had just stepped out of the corridor when he paused, “Who?”

In the darkness, before Jiang Mi could respond, a sharp pain shot through her wrist, and a powerful force yanked her out of the shadows.