Chapter 4: Led to the Bridal Chamber

Qin Lang was elegant and unrestrained, charming and uninhibited.

Shen Ruojin watched him laughing as he strode through the crowd, thinking that if her brothers were still alive, they would surely look just like this on their wedding day.

“What are you spacing out for?” Qin Lang lifted her into his arms and gave her a playful shake, a faint smile curling his lips. “Shen Ruojin, the way you’re looking at me makes me suspect that today’s last-minute bride swap was a scheme you deliberately set up.”

Shen Ruojin’s lips curved slightly. “Yes, I coveted the young prince’s charm and schemed endlessly to get my wish. And what about you?”

She spoke her sarcasm as if it were truth.

When dealing with someone like Qin Lang, one must always go against the grain.

“Good, very good. In this world, the only one who can outwit me, Qin Lang, is you, Shen Ruojin. Naturally, I must marry you home and learn everything about you, inside and out, skin and bone.”

With his right arm holding Shen Ruojin, Qin Lang’s left hand traced down her back to tap lightly on her waist.

The tingling sensation shot straight to her crown. Shen Ruojin nearly leapt up like a carp flipping in the air but restrained herself in the crowd. She raised a hand to smooth Qin Lang’s collar, signaling with her eyes not to go too far.

Qin Lang laughed even more heartily.

Soon they arrived at the gate of the Hou residence, where a throng of onlookers pressed in three layers deep.

Qin Lang carried Shen Ruojin into the bridal sedan chair, took the red veil from the maid’s hand, and placed it over her head, declaring, “On such a joyous day, one must wish for good fortune.”

Shen Ruojin sat inside the sedan chair, her vision obscured by the red veil. Outside, the sound of congratulations never ceased, joyful music and drums echoing along the bustling street.

Half an hour later, they reached the Northern Duke’s mansion.

With the red veil still covering her face, Shen Ruojin was led inside by Qin Lang, who held a red silk ribbon tied to her. As they stepped into the main hall, a furious voice rang out, “You scoundrel! How dare you use a battering ram to break open the Hou residence’s gate? Are you here to receive the bride or to kidnap her?”

At that very moment, a flower vase was hurled toward them.

Without hesitation, Qin Lang stepped forward half a pace, shielding Shen Ruojin behind him.

Shen Ruojin wrapped one arm around the young prince’s waist, pulling him aside slightly. With her other hand raised gently, she swept the flying vase back along its original path. It landed on the side table by the Northern Duke, wobbling twice before settling firmly, all under the wide-eyed stares of the onlookers.

The Northern Duke and his wife exchanged glances, both thinking silently that the chaos at the Hou residence had indeed brought Qin Lang a precious gem in disguise.

“Quite the aim,” Qin Lang praised with a smile, completely indifferent to the fact that the vase had been aimed at him.

Or rather, he was long accustomed to such things.

---

Shen Ruojin’s sight was blocked by the veil, so she relied on her hearing to gauge the situation. It was clear the Northern Duke’s anger was reaching its peak.

As the lord of the troops guarding the northern border, the Northern Duke was naturally feared by the emperor and had to tread carefully in all he did.

Yet, he had a son who was his exact opposite.

Qin Lang was famously a rakish playboy, wild and unrestrained.

Father and son—one commanding soldiers at the frontier, the other indulged in luxury—rarely met, and when they did, it was either to quarrel or brawl.

Qin Lang bent slightly and whispered to Shen Ruojin, “My father is somewhat hot-tempered. Please forgive his outburst, Madam.”

Shen Ruojin was momentarily speechless.

“Do you think I’m deaf?” the Northern Duke’s voice grew even more agitated.

Qin Lang’s smile did not waver. “Father is sharp of hearing and sight. How could he be deaf? Don’t curse yourself so.”

The Northern Duke roared, “You unfilial son, stop your smooth talk! Using siege weapons like battering rams inside the imperial city is a crime punishable by death for nine generations! Hurry and go to the palace to plead for forgiveness! Do you think the people of the Northern Duke’s mansion have too long a life?”

Shen Ruojin spoke calmly, “That wasn’t a battering ram.”

When Qin Lang carried her out, she had glanced casually. Though he acted boldly, he wouldn’t openly use such heavy weaponry within the imperial city.

The gate guards at the Hou residence had never seen a real battering ram before. Seeing the large object that resembled one and the gate actually broken, they hurried to report it as such.

Qin Lang said, “Listen, my wife says it isn’t. What battering ram? It was just a large wooden beam, slightly modified. The Hou residence gate was poorly made and collapsed on impact. How can you blame me?”

The Northern Duke fell silent.

His wife stepped in to ease the tension, gently saying, “Enough, enough. Using a weapon without permission is serious, but this gate-breaking during a wedding prank is a bit over the top. Second Master surely didn’t mean to break the gate; it can be repaired. The bride has just arrived. If you, Father-in-law, scold her husband in front of everyone, won’t it make us seem strict and you seem irritable?”

Qin Lang, the second son in the family, was affectionately called “Second Master” by those close to him.

The Northern Duke laughed bitterly, “The Hou residence’s gate is cast from black iron. You expect us to believe he broke it by accident?”

His wife’s temper also flared. “What else do you want? The Hou residence’s illegitimate daughter ran away from her marriage first. If Fu Guang hadn’t broken in today, the bride would have been lost and become the laughingstock of the capital! If you won’t support him, at least don’t start smashing vases. What kind of father are you? I say, no matter if the bride was received or taken by force, it was his skill that brought her home!”

The Northern Duke was at a loss for words and his anger subsided somewhat. He shot a resentful glance at Qin Lang. “Your reckless behavior is all because of your mother’s spoiling!”

The Duchess snorted and paid him no mind.

---

“Mother speaks truly,” Qin Lang smiled. “Even if Father wishes to punish me, let it be another day. It’s getting dark, and I’m eager to enter the bridal chamber.”

“You!” The Northern Duke was furious enough to overturn the table, but seeing the bride quietly standing beside him—the last bloodline of the venerable General Shen’s family he most respected—he sighed heavily.

“Ruojin, my son is wild and unworthy, truly no good match for you. I know you came back with him today out of helplessness. How about this: I adopt you as my sworn daughter. You will live in the Northern Duke’s mansion and wait for a better chance to find a worthy husband. What do you think?”

Qin Lang scoffed, “Such a loving father.”

“No,” Shen Ruojin stood gracefully, not only refusing outright but also retorting, “If the Duke is not my match, how can you say Qin Lang isn’t mine?”

She planned to leverage the Northern Duke’s influence and the Duchess’s family wealth to exact vengeance for the entire Shen family. Being merely a sworn daughter of a duke’s household was far from enough.

The Northern Duke was stumped. Matters of the heart were always mutual; the idea of a “worthy match” was never fixed.

Moreover, Shen Ruojin had just lost her husband to her half-sister’s elopement. The Northern Duke understood her troubles had clouded her judgment and chose not to argue further.

“You’d better take back that remark. If even I am unworthy of Shen Ruojin, then who in this world is?” Qin Lang stood shoulder to shoulder with Shen Ruojin, appearing as a perfect pair.

Before the Northern Duke could respond, the Duchess clapped her hands and declared, “Perfectly matched! You shameless and fearless two are truly made for each other!”

The Duchess had never wanted Qin Lang to marry the illegitimate daughter of the Hou residence. She never imagined that the little illegitimate daughter would elope with Pei Jing, while the legitimate daughter, Shen Ruojin, would marry Qin Lang instead.

Shen Ruojin was raised by the Shen family and naturally of excellent character. Rumor had it her martial skills were remarkable—her display upon entering had been impressive. Crucially, she had keen insight and saw in Qin Lang the potential to be a good man. She did not disdain his rakish ways and refused to accept the status of a duke’s sworn daughter, insisting on marrying him.

If this is not a predestined match, then what is?

The Duchess was wholly satisfied with Shen Ruojin.

“Matchmaker, what are you waiting for? Sing the wedding song! The sky is darkening; we mustn’t miss the auspicious hour. Hurry, proceed with the ceremony!”

A gentle breeze stirred the wedding hall as everyone busied themselves. Someone slipped a soft red ribbon into Shen Ruojin’s hand, the other end held by Qin Lang.

Amidst the sounds of joy and congratulations, Shen Ruojin and Qin Lang bowed in unison.

“First, bow to Heaven and Earth!”

“Second, bow to the elders!”

“Then, the couple bows to each other and is led into the bridal chamber—”