The Emperor was still ill, and the woman Ye Tinglan was about to take as a concubine was not the primary consort, so not many guests came to the mansion that day.
In the main hall, voices bustled, and groups of people whispered amongst themselves.
"What is the intention of Prince Mo in making us wait here? It's just a matter of taking a concubine, must we also witness the ceremony?"
This concubine, in the end, was merely a subordinate wife. The introduction of a concubine was always a hasty affair; when had there ever been a need for ceremony?
Entering and performing the wedding rites was a privilege reserved only for the primary consort.
He had not seen Yun Shu for two days, and Prince Ding Nan was still unaware of this matter.
Upon hearing this, he mistook it for Ye Tinglan finally understanding his words and deciding to treat Yun Shu well, so he cleared his throat and spoke with displeasure.
"Since we are told to wait here, arrangements have naturally been made. Why are you so impatient?"
Knowing he was not someone to be trifled with, the few men dared not utter a sound. Just as he finished speaking, some commotion arose from outside.
Accompanied by the sounds of beating drums and gongs, two bridal sedans stopped successively in front of the mansion's gates. One stopped at the left gate, while the other bypassed the right gate and proceeded directly to the main entrance.
As the sedan curtains were lifted, two figures, one in red and one in pink, were revealed. A considerable crowd had gathered, and upon seeing this, gasps of astonishment erupted.
"Didn't they say it was for two concubines? Why is one dressed in bright red?"
"No, this one seems to be entering through the main gate... what is going on?"
Such an arrangement that violated all propriety was unheard of.
These were merely common folk who had come to join the excitement, and their discussions were not at all hushed. Beneath her bridal veil, Yun Shu secretly twisted her fingers, her face utterly dismayed.
A wedding attendant quickly emerged from the mansion, heading towards Feng Yinwan.
In front of the sedan, her arm was suddenly clasped. Feng Yinwan instinctively reacted, executing a hold that subdued the person.
This unexpected move caught the wedding attendant off guard, her face turning pale, and she cried out in pain.
"Oh dear, oh dear... Concubine, it's me! Please let go, my arm is going to break...!"
Lifting the bridal veil, Feng Yinwan saw it was her face and quickly, sheepishly released her grip.
"Sorry, I didn't have control."
She was simply not accustomed to people being so close. Her arm being grabbed so suddenly was purely an involuntary defensive reaction.
Once the restraint was loosened, the wedding attendant retreated with a pale face. In that brief moment, she felt as though her shoulder blade was about to be crushed.
Unable to express her pain, she rubbed her arm with a pained expression and looked back at Feng Yinwan with trepidation, admonishing her.
"Concubine, please try to control yourself. You absolutely cannot act like this once we are inside!"
She was supposed to hold hands with the Prince and enter the hall before all the guests. If she lost control and suddenly subdued the Prince, what then?
Before she could finish speaking, she noticed the pair of shoes on Feng Yinwan's feet, which were only half on.
The wedding attendant's eyes widened, and she exclaimed again, "Concubine!"
"Ah?"
Feng Yinwan was startled by her sudden raised voice. She looked down to see the attendant staring at her feet, her brow furrowed into a knot.
"We are already at the mansion gates, hurry and put on your shoes! So many people are watching!"
"And this bridal veil, put it down quickly! I will help you alight from the sedan."
Saying this, she reached out to help again. Feng Yinwan had just put on her shoes and quickly stopped her.
"Hey, wait..."
"Oh, no more waiting, everyone outside is keeping track of the time!"
She had to quickly escort this troublesome woman inside, or if any more incidents occurred, her career as a wedding attendant would be over!
Without further ado, she helped Feng Yinwan up. In front of them, with a "swish," a pile of dark objects fell from Feng Yinwan's person.
The wedding attendant froze, then saw Feng Yinwan looking sheepish.
"See, I told you to wait..."
The wedding attendant stared at the pile of sunflower seeds scattered on the ground, her face as dark as charcoal.
This was preposterous. Having been a wedding attendant for so many years, she had never encountered such a situation!