Chapter 5 — The Poor Bridegroom Is the Supreme One

The wedding ceremony between Ngân Khinh Vy and Tạ Dịch Thần was held just three days after the Grand Wedding Ceremony, according to the customs of the Đại Lương court. But unlike the lavishness of the wedding between Khinh Tuyết and Âu Thế Khang, which was held shortly afterward with the presence of countless noble guests, Khinh Vy's wedding took place so simply that it made her sad.

Ngân Bá Viễn, still upset by his daughter's decision, only reluctantly held a small ceremony in the Ngan Palace grounds, not inviting as many guests as usual, using the excuse of "respecting his daughter's wish to live a simple life". But everyone understood that it was just a way for him to save face in the face of gossip that was spreading throughout the capital about the fact that the most prestigious head of the Ngan palace chose to marry a poor, unknown person as her husband.

Khinh Vy didn't care about that coldness at all. She clearly understands that, compared to what lies ahead, a simple wedding ceremony is nothing compared to the plots she needs to face and resolve. She wore a dark red wedding dress, not as gorgeous as last time but still exuding dignity, meticulously prepared by Vân Nhi in every small detail.

The ceremony took place in the backyard of Ngan Palace, with only a few close people and a few guests who were required to be invited because of protocol. Tạ Dịch Thần stood next to her in a simple but clean long robe, his demeanor still calm as always. Nghiêm Bạt Sương, his companion, stood quietly behind, his eyes observing the surroundings with unusual caution, as if on guard for something.

After completing the worshiping rituals, the newlywed couple was taken to a small courtyard located in a hidden corner of the western part of Ngan Phu, which is reserved for "unlucky" marriages like this - a row of simple houses, far away from the luxurious main courtyard where Khinh Tuyết and Âu Thế Khang will move to live after their wedding.

That night, when the wedding music had completely stopped, when the servants finally left, Khinh Vy sat alone in the simple wedding room, flickering candlelight illuminating her pensive face. This room is completely different from the splendid wedding room of her previous life - where she died in shame under the knife of an unknown assassin.

The door opened slightly, Tạ Dịch Thần walked in, his eyes scanned the simple room and stopped at Khinh Vy sitting at the dressing table. "Miss, aren't you resting yet?"

"You can call me wife," Khinh Vy replied, smiling slightly, "after all, we are husband and wife." Dịch Thần nodded slightly, walked over and sat down on the chair opposite her, keeping the distance just right, not too close but not too far. "Madam," he tried calling, his voice somewhat hesitant as if he was getting used to the new address, "I want to ask you a question. Please forgive me if this question is sudden."

"You just ask," Khinh Vy replied, her eyes still calm.

"You chose me," he said slowly, looking straight at her, "not simply because of a hunch like you said in the palace, right?"

That question made Khinh Vy startle inside, but on the outside she still remained calm. She knew that the man in front of her was not simple, and the fact that he realized the unusualness of her decision only reinforced her previous suspicions. "Why do you think that?"

"Because," Dịch Thần replied, a faint smile appeared on the corners of his lips, "a smart, astute lady like you, who spent the whole ceremony observing every little detail around, would not make such an important decision based on temporary feelings. I'm just curious, what did you see in me, that other people can't see."

Khinh Vy was silent for a moment, considering carefully before answering. She understood that this conversation was the first step in building trust between the two of them, and she couldn't be too hasty in revealing everything she knew, but she also couldn't pretend to be naive in front of someone who saw through her mind like that.

"I see composure," she replied, her voice slow, "a composure that a truly poor person is unlikely to have in the face of public humiliation in public. I also see his eyes, which do not have any self-consciousness about his background, but on the contrary, contain a profoundness that makes me curious."

Dịch Thần looked at her, his eyes flashed with a trace of genuine surprise, no longer the usual calm look. "Madam certainly has a sharper eye than I thought."

"So are you going to answer my question?" Khinh Vy asked back, her eyes firmly looking straight at him. "Are you really just a poor scholar from Vọng Điền village?"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became more tense. Dịch Thần was silent for a long time, his eyes looking out the window, where the moonlight was shining gently. "My lady," he said at last, his voice low, "everyone has their own secrets to keep hidden for their own reasons. I do not deny that I have things that cannot be said right now, but I can promise you one thing — I will never harm you, and all my secrets, if one day they are revealed, will not make you regret choosing me."

Khinh Vy looked at him, a feeling of both relief and complexity arose in her heart. She didn't expect him to reveal all her secrets on this first night — in fact, she wasn't ready to reveal everything she knew about her past life either. But his sincere, non-evasive answer made her feel somewhat more secure.

"Okay," she replied, nodding slightly, "I won't force you to say anything you don't want to say. But I also have something I want you to know first." She paused for a moment, her eyes becoming serious. "This government is not as peaceful as it seems. There are hidden plots going on, and I fear that, once you become my husband, you will also be drawn into those dangers."

Dịch Thần looked at her, his eyes flashing with something unpredictable - maybe a reevaluation, maybe a new respect for his newlywed wife. "You already knew those dangers, so why did you still choose to enter this marriage instead of avoiding them?"

"Because," Khinh Vy replied, her voice determined, "I have learned that avoidance is never the way to completely solve a problem. I would rather face danger directly, carefully prepare to neutralize it, than live in vague fear for the rest of my life." Dịch Thần looked at her silently for a long time, then nodded slightly, his eyes showing sincere appreciation. "Madam is certainly not like what people say. I believe we will be an interesting couple." That night, the two continued to talk late into the night, not with the sweet words of a newlywed couple, but with each other probing exchanges, gradually building the foundation for a relationship based on gradual respect and trust, rather than hasty blind love.

When the moonlight was high in the sky, Vân Nhi secretly looked through the door and saw her young lady and her groom still sitting and chatting. The atmosphere between the two was not as awkward as she initially worried, but on the contrary, exuding a strange harmony. She breathed a sigh of relief and quietly retreated, silently praying that everything would go smoothly for her lady.

Meanwhile, in the luxurious main hall where Khinh Tuyết and Âu Thế Khang have just moved to after their rumored wedding, a completely different conversation is taking place. Khinh Tuyết sat in front of the mirror, cold eyes looking at her own reflection, while Âu Thế Khang stood behind, her voice full of calculation.

"Do you think there's something unusual about Khinh Vy proactively leaving me to you?" Thế Khang asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I'm also thinking about that," Khinh Tuyết replied, her voice cold compared to the sweetness she still showed in front of others. "She has never been someone who easily gives up anything that belongs to her, even when it's not really important to her. The fact that she chose such a poor, anonymous person... there must be something wrong."

"So what should we do?" Thế Khang asked, his voice somewhat worried.

Khinh Tuyết smiled slightly, a cold smile completely different from her usual gentleness. "There's no need to rush. Our plan is still there, it just needs to be adjusted a bit to suit the new situation. Anyway, a poor, anonymous person cannot be a big obstacle to what I have arranged from the beginning."

Outside, the moonlight still quietly shines throughout the Ngan Palace, covering both rows of courtyards with a layer of dim silver - on one side is the splendid luxury hiding dark intentions, on the other side is the simplicity that is silently cultivating the seeds for an intelligent counter-attack that no one in the Ngan Palace could have expected.