Outside, the dazzling sunlight cascaded into the room like a waterfall, scattering splashes of golden light across the floor.
Su Jin, who had been lying in bed for three whole days, felt like her bones had scattered as if she had been lying for too long. She threw off the quilt and got out of bed. Xingxing came over with a tray of food, saying, "Miss, your body has not recovered yet, why are you getting out of bed?"
If she lay any longer, she'd be wasting away, Su Jin said, "I'm fine now."
The maid laid out the food, and Su Jin furrowed her brows slightly, "It's been three days, and the Iron Armor Guards haven't left?"
The maid shook her head, "Not yet. I heard the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion has been in a coma for three days. The doctors and the imperial physicians have tried everything but are helpless. Miss, will he die?"
Such a handsome man, who made girls lose their minds, perish just like that; the maid couldn't bear it.
Su Jin chuckled. She hadn't even met the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion, how would she know if he could be saved? Even if he could, her father Marquis Dongxiang couldn't go out, let alone her.
Feeling a bit hungry, Su Jin sat down to eat. She had to say, the food at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion had drastically declined. From six dishes and one soup, three meat, and three vegetables, three days ago, it had fallen to three vegetable dishes now, not even a trace of meat bits remaining. Would it really be like her mother, Mrs. Tang, said, that from tomorrow they'd be living on the northwest wind?
For someone like her, who often couldn't tell north from south, would she starve directly to death?
Her thoughts amused her, and Su Jin picked up her bowl, eating with relish.
But after just half a bowl of rice, her right eyelid started twitching. They say if the left eye twitches, money is coming; if the right eye twitches, there's trouble. Given her current string of bad luck, it seemed it might truly come true.
Su Jin was anxious and uneasy, her appetite diminished by more than half; the food tasted bland and dull.
She put down her chopsticks, and a maid rushed in through the beaded curtain, exclaiming urgently, "Miss, something bad has happened! The Emperor has decreed a marriage for you!"
Su Jin's body stiffened, and Xingxing urgently asked, "Who did they decree you to marry?"
Who else could it be, of course, it was…
"The eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion."
"But isn't he still in a coma?" Xingxing's eyes widened.
The maid looked at Su Jin sympathetically, "The Duke's Mansion went to plead before the Emperor, asking Miss to be wed to the eldest young master to ward off misfortune, and the Emperor agreed."
Xingxing jumped up, "How can the Emperor do this? Miss saved him, how can he repay her kindness with ingratitude!"
If warding off misfortune were effective, there wouldn't be so many deaths. This was clearly wanting her young miss to marry and be a widow for life!
Xingxing felt the Emperor had no conscience.
Su Jin's lips twitched. Although it was unfortunate that she was the one to marry, the Emperor couldn't really be blamed for this. The eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion had been grabbed back from the street by Su Jin, which led to his wrathful shock, causing him to fall into a coma. The Duke's Mansion requesting the Emperor to grant her a marriage to ward off misfortune had no reason to be refused.
Xingxing asked, "Has the Marquis received the Emperor's decree?"
The maid shook her head, "Not yet. The Marquis is very angry, wanting to enter the palace to find the Emperor. Madam is trying to stop him."
Without delay, Su Jin got up, lifted her skirt, and headed out, saying, "Lead the way upfront."
She jogged all the way to the main hall. Before she even entered, she saw several guards stationed outside. The imperial eunuch was standing with his back to her, and she couldn't see his face. She only heard him say, "Marquis, please don't make it difficult for me. Defying the decree brings death. Please summon Miss Su to receive the decree."
Marquis Dongxiang had an angry expression; even the imperial physicians couldn't heal the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion, so how could warding off misfortune work? Wasn't this just a fool's dream!
How could he accept such an edict that pushed his daughter into the fire pit?!
Su Jin walked over and said, "Father, it was my blunder, let me deal with it."
The eunuch looked at Su Jin and prepared to announce the decree.
Su Jin bowed to the eunuch and said, "I trouble you to take back the imperial decree and tell the Emperor on my behalf that I am willing to marry the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion to ward off misfortune, but there's no need for the Emperor's decree."
The eunuch furrowed his brows, confused, "Since Miss Su is willing, why not accept the decree?"
Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang both looked at Su Jin, not understanding what she wanted.
Su Jin simply smiled and said, "It was Su Jin's fault for causing Young Master Xie to remain in a coma. The Duke's Mansion requests me to ward off misfortune, and I cannot shirk this responsibility. The Emperor granting me a marriage is fulfilling my duty; the entire Capital City knows I saved the Emperor, and the Emperor is on my side.
But as Young Master Xie remains in a coma, he may not be willing to marry me. If the decree grants marriage, he may despise me, yet cannot divorce me, which could be a greater torment for Young Master Xie than death. Living every day in such pain, how could his body possibly recover?"
The eunuch felt persuaded, looking at Su Jin with complex emotions. Had she been so understanding earlier, Young Master Xie might not be in a coma now.
Being the Emperor's lifesaver, the Emperor cherished her greatly. The eunuch dared not offend Su Jin and only looked at Marquis Dongxiang, saying, "In that case, I'll take this decree back to the palace. Whatever is to be done, we'll follow the Emperor's instructions."
The eunuch took his leave, heading back to the palace with the decree.
After the eunuch left, Mrs. Tang looked at Su Jin, her eyes slightly red, saying, "Why are you being so foolish; how can you agree to marry the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion to ward off misfortune...?"
If there were another choice, she wouldn't let herself be sent to ward off misfortune.
Defying the decree was a crime punishable by death. The Iron Armor Guards of Duke Zhen's Mansion were still outside. The Dongxiang Marquis Mansion was not like Qingyun Mountain, which had natural fortifications, easy to defend but hard to attack, and they hadn't brought many people into the Capital City, leaving them with no chance if things turned confrontational.
Getting married didn't necessarily mean death, but not marrying meant certain death. Of two evils, choose the lesser.
The trouble was caused by Su Jin, and after taking over the original's body, she could only bear the responsibility. She couldn't let so many innocent people be buried with her.
Su Jin feigned a relaxed tone, "A daughter will inevitably have to marry someday. Besides, he is the person I have set my sights on…."
Xingxing quickly added, "Miss only fancies him because of his good looks. If there was someone better looking, Miss surely wouldn't want him anymore. Now that the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is in a coma, the Marquis even said he wouldn't last a year."
Did she have to make her sound so superficial, so eager for the new and tired of the old? Su Jin held back the black lines on her forehead and chuckled, "Father's not a physician; I believe the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is not someone with a short life, and neither am I."
Looking at Su Jin's forced smile and those dust-free eyes, Mrs. Tang's nose tingled, feeling that her daughter had grown up and learned to be sensible, but such sensibility tugged at the heartstrings.
Mrs. Tang held Su Jin's hand and said, "You don't have to worry about your father and me. At most, we'll move back to Qingyun Mountain; the Capital's luxuries never suited us. Mother only wishes for you to live a carefree life."
Although Su Jin had traversed into this world just three days ago and had been lying in bed recuperating, Mrs. Tang and Marquis Dongxiang's affection for her couldn't even be described as mere doting; it was indulgence. Only someone spoiled from birth would act impulsively and grab a man in the street, with her own father praising her choice.
The overindulgence didn't just come from Mrs. Tang and Marquis Dongxiang. Her older brother, Su Chong, who was still taking care of business in Feihu Village and had not yet come to the Capital, and her younger brother Su Yang, who was yet to see his seventh birthday, would also do anything for their dear sister.
If Su wanted the stars in the sky, both her father, the Marquis, and Su Yang would find a way to bring them down to her.
The only thing they didn't know was that, unlike what they thought, she was not pampered from childhood to be so willful here, having been spoiled rotten. If they knew the truth, they'd surely be heartbroken.
Su Jin held Mrs. Tang's hand back, sincerely calling her "Mother," and said breezily, "Mother, I have to get married someday, and since he's the one I've set my eyes on... ."
To which Xingxing quickly added, "The young lady only likes him because he's handsome. If there was someone more handsome, she wouldn't care for him now. And now the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is in a coma, the Marquis has already said he won't survive the next year."
Does she really have to make it sound so shallow and capricious? Su Jin suppressed the black lines on her forehead, smiled, and said, "Father is not a doctor. I believe the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is not someone doomed to a short life, and neither am I."
"I know you, daughter. If there were any other option, you wouldn't want to go and ward off misfortune for someone."
Defying the imperial decree is a capital crime, and the Iron Armor Guards of Duke Zhen Country Mansion are still outside. The Dongxiang Marquis Mansion is not like Qingyun Mountain with its natural defenses; we are not well-positioned and have brought very few people to the Capital City. We can't just hit them head-on with no chance of winning."
Marrying does not necessarily mean death. Not marrying absolutely means death. Of two evils, choose the lesser.
The trouble caused by Su Jin, she had taken over the body, she could only bear it for her. Furthermore, she couldn't let so many innocents go down with her.
Su Jin added nonchalantly, "I will need to marry someday, and conveniently, he's the one I've set my eyes on...."
Xingxing quickly said, "Miss only likes him for his good looks—if there's someone even more handsome, Miss would surely leave him aside. Now the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is in a coma, and the Marquis even said that he won't last a year or a half."
Why go and say she's that shallow, so capricious? Su Jin stifled the black lines on her forehead with a smile and said, "Father is not a doctor; I believe that the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is not a man destined for a short life, nor am I."
This sincere expression from Su Jin, who took Mrs. Tang's hand, calling her "Mother," with ease made Mrs. Tang's eyes glisten with tears; her daughter seemed to have grown up and become sensible, but such sensibility made her heart ache.
Mrs. Tang held Su Jin's hand, her eyes slightly red, "You're so silly, how can you agree to marry the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion to ward off misfortune...?"
Su Jin replied with a veneer of ease, "Mother, I have to marry anyway, and he happens to be the one I fancy... ."
Xingxing quickly interjected, "Miss only fancies him because he's handsome. If there was someone more handsome, Miss would surely not want him now. Now, the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is in a coma, and the Marquis has said he won't last more than a year or a half."
Should she be painted as this shallow, this fickle? With black lines on her forehead, Su Jin smiled and said, "Father's not a doctor; I believe the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion is not destined for a short life, and neither am I."
This was Su Jin's most genuine thought. Marquis Dongxiang considered it and said, "If the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion isn't meant to have a short life, then back to Qingyun Mountain with you, to be a bandit. It's much more carefree than being any marquis."
So, the decision was made.
Su Jin agreed to marry the eldest young master of Duke Zhen Country Mansion to ward off misfortune. The imperial decree was no longer considered an imposition, and Duke Zhen Mansion did not persist on having the decree in effect. Without Duke Zhen Mansion's approval, there was no way an unwelcome wife could be easily let go; until death did they part, she would remain a part of Duke Zhen Mansion.
The Duke's Mansion pushed to set the marriage in three days. Marquis Dongxiang thought the time was too rushed and the odd day inauspicious, so he asked Duke Zhen's Mansion to postpone it, but it was to no avail. The news reached Su Jin's ears, leaving her struck as if by lightning, frozen on the spot.
She casually drew a lot; within seven days she was to marry, and the day of marriage was precisely... the seventh day.