Still have to get up early and prepare, today is the day when the bride pays respects to her elders at home with tea, it's also the day when everyone gives gifts to the host mother to wish her well.

  Especially her. The old steward repeatedly sent people to instruct that no matter what the reason, Xiè Fújūn must go to pay respects to Fújūn today.

  Different from yesterday's solemn grandeur, even the servants didn't need to be told by Meili and they helped her with a simple dress-up, too gorgeous as if going to show off.

  Meili left early, it was the old lady of the mansion, although she was Jingxuan's stepmother, her relationship with Jingxuan was extremely cold. After Old Master Wang passed away, she had been living in a separate residence in Chengde and never returned to the capital city's royal mansion.

  The old lady sat calmly in the main seat of the hall, waiting for her nominal daughter-in-law to come and pay respects with tea. However, she was not excited, and when she saw Mei Li enter, she smiled at her meaningfully, exempting her from asking after her well-being. She and Mei Li were just two indispensable roles in this play, both of whom were there to accompany the new lady.

  Before Su Ying arrived, her two personal old ladies came first, followed by several maids, one of whom solemnly and joyfully held a tray covered with red silk.

  The tray was presented in front of Old Lady Fu, the red silk was lifted, and the slightly pleased old lady half-presented and half-displayed a white satin stained with blood. Old Lady Fu also conscientiously smiled with joy, nodding repeatedly.

  Meili naturally understood the meaning of this white handkerchief, and her fingers under the handkerchief couldn't help but twitch slightly. She restrained herself from thinking about the various associations triggered by this bloodstained handkerchief.

  The old lady and the maidservants withdrew, now it's time for the master to take the stage.

  Jingxuan arrived first, wearing a casual summer shirt, clearly not taking this ceremony in the mansion very seriously. Following closely behind him was the new Madame of Qingwang Fu, supported by a maid, keeping pace with her husband's footsteps. As she stepped over the threshold, she stumbled slightly and her face flushed bright red. Jingxuan heard it and turned around to see her blushing and complaining expression, unable to help but smile quietly, pulling her hand as they walked into the hall together.

  He didn't salute the old lady, let go of Su Ying's hand and sat down in his own seat. When Su Ying knelt down to offer tea to the old lady, Mei Li was gently pulled up by the maids on both sides, as she couldn't sit while the lady was kneeling.

  Lao Fujin said what she had to say and symbolically gave Su Ying a red envelope.

  Su Ying was supported and sat down in the position next to Jing Xuan, her smiling eyes faintly swept towards Mei Li opposite her, Mei Li knew it was time for her to pay respects.

  She was led to kneel down in front of Jing Xuan first, holding the tea tray above her head. She had long been taught to say: "Your Highness, please have some tea."

  Jingxuan naturally took over the tea and just made a sound of "hmm".

  Then, it's Su Ying.

  She knelt down on both knees, holding up a tea cup high, "Madam, please have some tea."

  Although... she had already rehearsed it thousands of times in her heart, and was fully confident that at this moment she would smile and bow down to offer tea to the woman who was about the same age as her, but when she really did so, her heart still felt wronged and hurt.

  She took the tea from her, and with a gentle yet noble tone said: "Good." This woman was no longer the girl she had met at the hunting grounds, who had played together under their ancestors' knees. She was now her mistress, her master... Today's ceremony was to make her understand for the rest of her life that she was just a secondary wife, and would have to address Suoyan and Jingxuan as "master" from this moment on, for all eternity.

  Su Ying took a red envelope from the maid's hand and handed it to her, "This is what Wang Ye and I reward you with. From now on, we two sisters must work together in harmony to serve Wang Ye, take care of all matters in the palace, let Wang Ye have no worries, and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to serving the emperor."

  Meili silently listened to the mistress's tone of reprimand, and when she accepted the red envelope awarded by "Wangye and Furen", her hand slightly trembled.

  She hasn't finished yet, she still has to kneel even lower and say: "Your humble servant remembers the teachings of her mistress."

  "Get up."

  Su Ying lets her get up, she can get up.

  She can't sit back in her previous seat, she has to sit at a lower seat far away from Su Ying, near the door.

  The servants of the mansion entered in batches to pay their respects to Wang Ye and Fu Jin. No one paid attention to the old Fu Jin sitting at the top and the side Fu Jin below. Everyone was delighted to receive the generous red envelopes given by the new Fu Jin, and Su Yan smiled slightly and nodded to each servant who thanked her, from now on, she is the mistress of this mansion.

  Meili forced herself to face this scene, it's just a beginning...

  From now on, every day, without fail, she would have to pay her respects to Su Yuerong from dawn till dusk, repeating the same rituals every day until it became second nature.

  Jing Xuan suddenly stood up, and everyone stared at him in a daze. He walked straight to Mei Li, blocking the gaze of the people below with his body, and said loudly: "Dizzy again? You're sick!" As he spoke, he also roughly picked her up from the chair.

  "From now on, all such ceremonies will be exempted from morning and evening greetings, as Concubine Xi's body is not well!"

  Meili's mind was a bit dizzy, and as soon as she left the hall, there was a small lotus pond in front of her. The wind with a hint of water blew on her face, and she only realized what he had done. Although she didn't see Su Ying's expression, when he announced this in front of all the servants, this blow was really not light.

  "Put me down." She twisted slightly in his arms. It was enough, his intention had been achieved, Su Ying still hadn't figured out his temperament, even as a wife, he couldn't stand others showing authority, he hoped everyone would be humble in front of him. Su Ying must have given the servant a big reward without asking him first, that's why she got hit with his coldness.

  When he stared at her, his dark eyes reflected some inexplicable tenderness in her pale face. "You're so stupid! The more you say you're sick and dizzy, the wider your eyes get!" He complained.

  She didn't respond.

  He deliberately swept Su Ying's face, and in the end, it was still her who suffered. Did he want her to thank him?

  He carried her all the way back to their room, gently laid her on the couch, personally took off her shoes, and kissed her expressionless face.

  "Aren't you happy?" He softened his voice, but the cold tone didn't suit gentle words and still sounded like an interrogation. "You'll have to kneel to her at least once, after that... it won't be necessary." He promised simply.

  She really wished she could be moved by his words, but in fact, both of them knew that the difference between a legitimate child and a bastard was not just a matter of kneeling or not.

  "Meili..." His lips grazed her tender skin, approaching hers.

  She suddenly remembered the crimson bloodstain on the white silk in Su Ying's hand, stubbornly turned her head away and avoided his mouth that might have just kissed Su Ying.

  "Hmm?" He was really unhappy now, the warmth in his eyes was again driven back by the chill, "What else do you want me to do?" He coldly half-propped himself up, "Do you want her to kneel down for you? Impossible!"

  She tilted her head to look at the sun's rays casting a pattern on the thin gauze bed curtain, jasmine fragrance... He had on him the noble and expensive scent of Su Ying.

  He pinched her chin and turned her face back, not allowing her to evade his kiss.

  Although she knew it was futile, the bad temper that she thought had been worn down flared up again. She tightly closed her mouth and wouldn't let him in. He punished her with a light bite, which hurt, causing her to pucker even more.

  "What's going on?" he finally asked.

  "How disgusting!" she blurted out. Having said it, she was shocked herself - how could she say something like that? She had no right to be disgusted...

  He was instantly enraged, "Dirty?!" He sat up straight, staring at her deadpan, "I'm not fed up with you yet!"

  One sentence... would be enough to put her to death.

  She stared into his eyes, suddenly widening them, and a multitude of emotions surfaced in an instant. Just as tears were about to burst into her dark grape-like pupils, she blinked... and was left with only emptiness.

  She doesn't blame him, it's herself who said something out of line and got hurt as a result, she hurt herself.

  Why did she have to provoke fate again? Maybe today was too humiliating, too sad beyond her limit... She knew she was wrong.

  She stared at him vacantly again, he was very suspicious, every time she looked at him like this, did she really see him?!

  He gasped, how... he had hurt her again!

  The three words "I'm sorry" choked in his throat like a fire burning, but no matter what he couldn't say them out loud.

  He could only slam the door and leave again, how did he wrong her? Did he say something wrong?!

  But... his heart felt guilty, so guilty it hurt.