Su Qingyu sat barefoot in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the extremely cold face in the mirror, but her face was still there.
She gasped hard, trying to calm the panic inside her.
The nightmare just now was still flashing through my mind.
No, that was not a nightmare, she was sure, that was what she had actually experienced.
She could even vaguely feel the remaining pain on her face.
Pearl had already brought over the embroidered shoes made by Niyu and helped Su Qingyu put them on.
Then he asked: "Are you feeling better, Miss? You and the old lady will go to pay homage to the third master of the Shen family later. Do you want to lie down for a while?"
Su Qingyu was startled, the funeral of the third master of the Shen family? That happened in the winter of Xuande's seventeenth year.
So she returned to the 17th year of Xuande?
God thinks she is too stupid and can't stand it anymore?
Su Qingyu's face remained calm as she ordered: "Give me a change of plain clothes. I'm going to Songhe Hall now."
The deceased third master of the Shen family was Shen Zhao's uncle. He had already joined the cabinet at a young age, but on his way back to Beijing on a business trip, he was attacked by horse thieves and fell into a valley, leaving no trace of his body.
In the previous life, it was at the funeral of the third master of the Shen family that the two families decided to get married. Because Shen Zhao wanted to observe filial piety, the Shen family decided that the two of them would get married within a hundred days, which would be considered a marriage in a warm filial piety.
According to Cheng Rujin, she and Shen Zhao had a good relationship at today's funeral.
A hint of cruelty flashed across Su Qingyu's eyes. Today, she would give Shen Zhao and Cheng Rujin a big gift.
Pearl helped Su Qingyu choose a moon-white brocade skirt, a pure white fox fur cloak, and a warm jade hairpin on her head.
There was a clear snowfall yesterday, and there was a layer of frost on the bluestone road. Pearl carefully supported her young lady and walked slowly along the corridor towards Songhe Hall.
There are many winter plums planted on the edge of the corridor, and the clusters of red ones are blooming just right.
Su Qingyu entered the Songhe Hall leisurely while planning to go to the Shen family to worship.
After passing through the hall and arriving at the banquet room, two girls wearing light-colored twig coats and skirts gently opened the curtain and saluted her again.
After entering, I walked around the eight rosewood screens inlaid with white jade to welcome blessings from all seasons, and saw a lacquered nut Arhat bed placed near the window.
The old lady of the Su family, who was in her fifties, was sitting on it, wearing a dark auspicious cloud leather silk jacket and a gold hairpin inlaid with emeralds on her head. Although he is over fifty, his eyes are still deep and sharp, and when he has a sullen face, he can make people hold their breath unconsciously.
"Grandma is fine."
As soon as Su Qingyu finished the ceremony, she heard footsteps behind her, and her cousin Cheng Rujin walked in.
"Hello grandma, hello cousin."
Logically speaking, Cheng Rujin should call the old lady grandma, but the old lady pitied her for being helpless, so she always asked her to call her grandma like all her sisters.
Cheng Rujin was originally from Jiangnan. He was a head shorter than Su Qingyu and spoke softly. From the snow-white fur cloak, a small face as big as a palm was exposed, looking innocent and harmless. Anyone who saw it would want to hurt her to the core.
Su Qingyu clenched her fists unconsciously, wishing she could pluck out the hairpin and plunge it into her face, then tear the skin off with her own hands.
But he still smiled and replied, "Hello, cousin, you look really good today, and your makeup is gorgeous. It looks like you have been carefully dressed up."
The speaker "has no intention", but the listener has a guilty conscience.
Cheng Rujin smiled and said, "When I go out with my grandmother, I don't dare not dress up carefully, for fear of losing the face of the Su family."
As she spoke, her hands twisted together unconsciously, her head lowered, and her voice became quieter and quieter.
Cheng Rujin has always been like this, expressing the humble feeling of being dependent on others to the extreme.
Just like at this moment, even though the old lady was dissatisfied, she still comforted her: "There's nothing else, except that the ruby plum blossom hairpin on your head doesn't fit well. Just take it off."
Then he turned to look at Su Qingyu and said with approval: "Qingyu's dress and makeup are just right. She is dignified enough without being rude."
Cheng Rujin also looked at Su Qingyu, biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with water.
In the past, Su Qingyu would definitely have stepped forward to comfort her, but now she only glanced at her with a cold expression.
Cheng Rujin reached out and removed the red plum hairpin, thought for a moment, and then wiped the bright lipstick on her lips.
A few people chatted a few more words, and the old lady saw that the time was almost up, so she went to change into plain clothes.
The warm sedan chair was already waiting in the corridor. The maids carried the warm sedan chair to take the old lady and the two young ladies to the hanging flower gate.
The carriage with green curtains and canopies stopped outside the second door, and the butler Su Zhong was waiting beside it.
"Old madam, there are too many carriages on Zhuque Street today. You and the two ladies can share a carriage so that you can take care of them."
The old lady nodded and said, "That's how it should be. We are going to worship sincerely, so we can't be too high-profile."
In fact, it is impossible to be high-profile.
Although the Su family still has a title, compared with the Shen family, it is still more than a little behind.
After the grandfather and grandson got on the carriage, the old lady gave Su Qingyu instructions.
"You must behave well today. You must not lose face in the Shen family. There must be no mishaps in this marriage."
Su Qingyu glanced at Cheng Rujin, who had a tense face, and said respectfully: "Yes, my granddaughter has remembered it."
As soon as the carriage entered Zhuque Street, its speed obviously slowed down.
Through the gap in the curtains of the carriage, Su Qingyu saw the bright white front door of the Shen family not far away, and several masters of the Shen family were welcoming guests at the door.
Fortunately, Mr. Shen will be in mourning for seven or forty-nine days, and the worshipers will not rush to come in one day, otherwise the carriages may not be able to enter the Zhuque Street.
The carriage entered directly from the west corner gate and drove towards the inner courtyard. There were not many female family members who came to worship the Shen family, and they were all related to the Shen family. The old lady brought Su Qingyu here this time because she had an engagement with the Shen family.
At the second door, the second wife of the Shen family, Mrs. Yang, was there with her maids and servants to welcome the guests. Seeing that it was the old lady of the Su family who was coming, she hurriedly stepped forward to help her.
"Auntie is here. Our old lady was still talking about you this morning. It just so happens that you are here and you can comfort her."
Because before the Shen family was established, the old men of the two families had some friendship, so they discussed their seniority.
The soft sedan in the inner courtyard was already waiting. The grandfather and grandson got on the sedan and went to Qingyuan Residence where Mrs. Shen lived.
The Shen family is rich and powerful, and can be counted among the best in Beijing.
Just looking at the soft and delicate red sandalwood carved with complicated patterns, it is not affordable for ordinary people. The curtains of the sedan chair look like Suzhou's famous cloud gauze brocade, and the top of the sedan chair is inlaid with luminous pearls, which is extravagant and luxurious.
Su Qingyu was well aware of the Shen family's extravagance, but didn't care about it.
But Cheng Rujin, who was sitting in the sedan chair, was shocked, shaken, and determined to marry into the Shen family.
After the sedan chair landed, the maids and women stepped forward to support their masters and served them with great vigor.
Su Qingyu got out of the sedan chair and saw the corners of her clothes made of blue moiré muslin.
She slowly raised her head and saw Shen Zhao's clear face, clenching her fists unconsciously.
But when Shen Zhao looked at her, he cleverly lowered his eyebrows to hide his hatred.
"Sister Qingyu is here. Grandma was talking about you just now."
Eighteen-year-old Shen Zhao, dressed in mourning clothes, stood there to greet her just like in his previous life.
Su Qingyu returned the salute and forced a smile on her lips.
Cheng Rujin suddenly stepped forward and leaned over Yingying, her waist soft and soft.
As soon as he opens his mouth, his tone is so soft that it can shake people's hearts.
"I've met Brother Shen Zhao."
