My Husband Never Oversteps The Bounds Of Propriety - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The South

Leaving the Northern territories of the Shen clan behind, the wedding procession journeyed steadily toward the South.

After traveling for some time, the piercing Northern wind lost its edge, and the air began to carry a damp, faint warmth. The scenery flanking the official road shifted from the desolation of withered branches and lingering snow to scattered patches of greenery that had survived the winter, proving that the Southern winters were indeed more comfortable than those in the North.

Inside the bridal sedan, Shen Jiuyuan had long since removed her veil and carefully taken off the phoenix crown, placing it on a soft cushion beside her. With the crown removed, the tension in her neck vanished. She moved her elbows and ankles slightly; the spot where the porcelain shards had cut her ankle still throbbed with a dull pain all thanks to Shen Zhilan.

Shen Jiuyuan turned her head, her gaze fixed on the world outside through the small glass window on the right. The Su family truly lived up to their reputation as a great Southern clan; the wedding pomp was immense, the guards were stern, and the servants were as numerous as clouds. Yet, despite the crowd, not a single sound of clamor could be heard throughout the journey, a testament to the orderly conduct of a family with generations of heritage.

This was starkly different from the Shen family’s style, which had risen through military merit and inevitably carried the rugged, blunt aura of soldiers. The Su clan of the South, founded on commerce, placed the highest value on rules and “face” their style was a needle hidden in silk, a dagger concealed behind a smile.

Shen Jiuyuan knew in her heart that she was not merely stepping into another wealthy manor, but into a more refined and more dangerous battlefield.

The wedding procession traveled by day and lodged at night in various stations or private villas already prepared by the Su family. Every location was arranged with comfort and luxury, provided with every necessity. The serving women were all submissive and polite, their etiquette so perfect that no fault could be found.

Even so, Shen Jiuyuan could feel the omnipresent prying of strangers and the detachment between the future masters and servants. She did not dare to be negligent for a single moment.

Throughout the trip, Shen Jiuyuan maintained a perfect balance of silence and docility. She spoke little, asked nothing, and conducted herself with such dignity and poise that no trace of the military Shen family’s perceived coarseness could be seen in her dining or daily habits.

She would even stand in the courtyards of the relay stations, bowing toward the South and whispering prayers for her “sister” Shen Zhilan’s speedy recovery. Her posture was so sincere and her affection so seemingly genuine that the Su servants naturally began to feel that this new mistress, despite her military background, was exceptionally well-bred and sentimental.

Only in the dead of night, when she was alone in her room, would Shen Jiuyuan take out the nameless book left by her mother. Under the lamplight, she would gaze at it in silence, her eyes revealing a depth and tenacity completely different from her daytime persona.

After traveling for about half a month, the horses and carriages finally crossed into the Jiangnan region. On this day, the scenery outside the sedan window changed dramatically.

Gone was the yellow-dirt official road; in its place was a crisscrossing network of waterways. Stone bridges arched like rainbows, and boats moved back and forth like weaving shuttles. The air was so humid it felt like it could be wrung for water, carrying the fresh scent of earth and aquatic plants.

In the distance, the fields and paths though it was winter were covered in large stretches of carefully tended greenery, either winter wheat seedlings or evergreen trees. The villages, with their white walls and black-tiled roofs, were arranged with exquisite elegance, vastly different from the heavy, simple style of the North.

“Young Lady, we have entered the Jinling territory ahead.”

Outside the sedan, a maid named Lily (Linglan) reported in a low voice through the curtain. This was the dowry maid from the Shen family, formerly one of Lady Zhou’s people. Lady Zhou, likely pleased that Shen Jiuyuan had replaced her daughter for this distant marriage, had uncharacteristically assigned a girl to her. However, Shen Jiuyuan did not dare to trust Lily easily; after all, she was Zhou’s person, and the human heart is difficult to fathom.

Shen Jiuyuan gave a faint “mhm,” put her phoenix crown back on, and covered her face with the red veil. She knew the true test was about to begin.

The procession moved for another half-day. The speed of the sedan slowed, and the external noise grew into a roar as they seemed to pass through a bustling marketplace; the sounds of voices, peddlers, and carriages were incessant. Finally, the sedan dipped slightly as if crossing a high threshold, and the surroundings instantly grew quiet, leaving only the rhythmic footsteps of the carriers echoing in the open space.

Finally, the sedan came to a complete stop.

The high-pitched, long-drawn cry of the master of ceremonies rang out from outside: “The auspicious hour has arrived the bride alights from the sedan.”

The curtain was lifted, and light flooded in. The wedding matrons supported Shen Jiuyuan on either side once more, carefully leading her out of the sedan. As her feet touched the solid ground, Shen Jiuyuan could feel the smooth, cold stone slabs beneath her thin soles. The music and firecrackers were clearer here, even more grand than they had been at the gates of the Shen Manor.

Shen Jiuyuan felt herself being led forward, step by step. Countless people seemed to be gathered around, their gazes burning as they converged on her, the bride. Whispers surged like a tide; although she could not hear them clearly, she could distinctly perceive the prying scrutiny and the faint, underlying contempt within them.

“This is the lady from the Northern Shen family?”

“I heard she is the concubine-born daughter, a substitute bride…”

“A substitute? A concubine’s daughter? I fear she won’t be able to manage the Eldest Young Master. A man like him…”

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