Chapter 78 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (19)
“Mo Mo, I’ve kept you waiting. Are you hungry?”
Hearing Jin Xin mention that Bai Mo hadn’t eaten much in the morning, Yu Cheni lifted the red bridal veil. Beneath the young man’s dark, glossy eyes, a faint bluish tint had formed.
Hmm… from staying up too late.
“Did you not sleep well last night?” Yu Chenyi gently touched the dark circles under Bai Mo’s eyes, his gaze filled with concern.
Bai Mo rubbed against his husband’s hand affectionately. A day apart feels like three years; a few days apart feels like an eternity.
“I didn’t sleep well at all. I had barely fallen asleep when the wedding attendants woke me up~” The little snow ferret pouted, complaining about the matrons’ wrongdoings.
Disturbing someone’s sleep… Well, forget it. It’s a joyous day; he shouldn’t say anything inauspicious. Besides, the matrons were just doing their duty.
“But getting to marry Brother Chenyi makes staying up all night worth it.”
With that thought, Bai Mo brightened up again, and his drowsiness completely vanished.
“By the way—”
Just as Yu Chenyi was enjoying the boy’s affectionate behavior, Bai Mo suddenly gasped. He grabbed Yu Chenyi’s hand and hurriedly dragged him toward a certain window. Pushing it open, he pointed down at an unconscious woman.
“This woman tried to take my place and marry you! I caught her and knocked her out. What should we do?”
Bai Mo had thought long and hard about it, but his clever little head just couldn’t come up with a perfect solution.
Yu Chenyi’s eyes darkened. He reached for the sword hanging on the wall and slashed at the woman’s wedding attire.
This was the very outfit he had personally designed and commissioned from the embroidery house—how could he let someone else wear it?
With a graceful flourish, his sword sliced only through the outer layer of the woman’s wedding robes. The vibrant red fabric was shredded beyond recognition, yet the garments underneath remained completely untouched—a testament to his exceptional swordsmanship.
Perhaps Bai Mo was too caught up in the moment.
Since morning, one thing after another had kept happening, leaving him overwhelmed.
If Yu Chenyì had been in his place, whether it was Lan Gaoyi or those opportunistic kidnappers, he wouldn’t have let a single one of them leave unscathed.
“It’s a joyous day, my love. You don’t need to trouble yourself over such people. Just leave it to your mother.”
Yu Chenyi shut the window. The woman outside, now in disheveled clothing, was no longer suitable for Mo Mo’s eyes to see.
“But…” Bai Mo still felt like something was off. If Madam Bai found out about this, who knew how furious she would be?
Yu Chenyi pinched the boy’s nose with a knowing smile.
“The security of the Bai household had such a huge lapse. If your parents didn’t find out, that would be the real problem. Besides, your mother wouldn’t think of it as a burden. If Mo Mo has concerns but doesn’t share them with her, that would truly make her sad.”
After all, nothing hurts parents more than feeling like they’ve become useless in their children’s eyes—Madam Bai was no exception.
Bai Mo nodded in half-understanding. Since his husband had said so, he would tell Madam Bai about it to avoid making her even more worried.
By the time Jin Xin returned, beaming with joy, to inform Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi that it was time to bid farewell to their parents, she didn’t even get a chance to speak before Bai Mo pulled her aside, whispering mysteriously.
“Sister Jin Xin, I need your help with something.”
Jin Xin: “?”
She glanced at Yu Chenyi, who stood not far away. Even the groom couldn’t hear this? Then it must be something very important.
Jin Xin’s expression turned serious, and she lowered her voice. “Young Master, please give your instructions.”
Bai Mo, looking as guilty as a thief, peeked outside. Seeing that the matrons were all busy dealing with Yu Chenyi, he tugged Jin Xin toward the window. “There’s someone outside. Can you tie her up and take her to my mother?”
Jin Xin pushed the window open just a crack. The first thing she saw was a flash of red—and at the woman’s waist hung a sash identical to Bai Mo’s wedding attire.
A body double! Jin Xin instantly tensed.
As a personal maid trusted to serve Bai Mo, she was no fool. Her sharp gaze narrowed, but in the next moment, she quickly put on a cheerful smile and shoved Bai Mo back toward the others. Speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear, she said, “Young Master, there’s no need to worry about such trivial matters. I’ll handle it. The auspicious time is near—we mustn’t delay.”
Neither the wedding attendants nor the matrons suspected anything amiss. They continued showering Bai Mo and Yu Chenyì with well wishes as they escorted them to the main hall.
With most people gone, the courtyard emptied significantly, leaving only two or three stray cats lingering about—cats that were in charge of keeping the outer courtyard clean.
Normally, Jin Xin would have called them over to do some work. But not this time.
For someone to sneak in unnoticed, they were either incredibly foolish… or there was an informant within the household.
Jin Xin trusted no one.
She grabbed a sturdy hemp rope, circled around to the back of the house, and swiftly bound the unconscious woman. After stuffing a cloth into her mouth, she dragged her into the bushes for concealment before heading toward the main hall.
Her destination? Madam Bai’s personal wet nurse.
Anyone might betray Madam Bai, but not the nurse who had accompanied her since marriage.
At that moment, Bai Shangshu (the Minister Bai) and Madam Bai were busy lecturing Yu Chenyi, so Jin Xin dared not interrupt.
The old nurse, however, raised an eyebrow in surprise when she heard that Jin Xin had urgent news regarding Bai Mo. She glanced at the young master, who was kneeling in respect before his elders, then nodded and discreetly gathered a few trusted guards before heading toward Bai Mo’s courtyard.
When Jin Xin dragged out the unconscious woman, the old nurse took one look and immediately flew into a rage.
Dressed in wedding attire, appearing outside the young master’s room at this specific time—her intentions were obvious to anyone with eyes.
“Jin Xin, you handled this well. It’s best not to make a big scene right now,” the old nurse praised her.
Jin Xin quickly shook her head, insisting that it wasn’t her credit.
Following that, under the old nurse’s orders, the woman’s red wedding garments were stripped away, and she was locked in the woodshed. They would report the matter to Madam Bai for further judgment after the young master had left.
“Nanny, this woman isn’t from our household. How could she have the means to get a wedding outfit? There can only be one bride in the bridal chamber—if she had succeeded in taking that place, where would that leave our young master?” Jin Xin voiced her suspicions.
The old nurse pondered for a moment and realized Jin Xin was right.
“Jin Xin, I’ll handle things here. You go to the front and continue serving. Soon, you’ll need to accompany the young master to the Yu residence. Since those people failed this time, they might come up with another scheme. Keep your eyes sharp,” the old nurse instructed. She gripped Jin Xin’s wrist so tightly that the skin turned red.
“I understand,” Jin Xin replied. She was even angrier than the old nurse—if someone dared to scheme against the young master under her watch, they’d have to step over her first.
Jin Xin was sent back to the main courtyard. Meanwhile, the old nurse carefully analyzed the household layout and the location of Bai Mo’s courtyard.
It didn’t take long for her to pinpoint where the accomplices must be waiting. She rushed out of the back gate and swiftly captured the lurking kidnappers, eliminating the threat in one move.
Later, during the formal farewell, Madam Bai took a deep breath and spoke solemnly.
“I’ve read the promise you wrote. I hope the two of you will have a good life together. Promises aren’t just words, Chenyi. I hope you mean what you say. If you ever mistreat my Mo Mo, send him back home. He may no longer be your treasure, but he will always be the dearest to me and his father…”
As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes.
“Mother-in-law, what you fear will never happen,” Yu Chenyi vowed, kneeling before her.
“Mother, the Yu residence isn’t far from home. I’ll visit often! You and Father won’t mind me coming back to freeload, right?” Bai Mo teased, wrapping his arms around Madam Bai’s arm.
“Of course not! You can come home anytime, eat and take whatever you want. I’ll always have things ready for you,” Madam Bai said, comforted by his words.
…
Soon, the auspicious time for departure arrived. Bai Mo lowered his red bridal veil and, supported by the wedding attendants, sat inside the bridal sedan chair.
Technically, when men married, the customs were not as strict. Bai Mo could have ridden alongside Yu Chenyi on horseback. However, the little snow ferret was exceptionally lazy—if he could sit comfortably and be carried, why bother riding a horse with a poised posture, smiling while parading through the streets? That was far too exhausting.
The sound of firecrackers and gongs filled the air as Bai Mo was carried out amidst the lively wedding procession.
In the Bai residence, Minister Bai gently patted Madam Bai’s back, comforting her as she struggled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow. Just then, the old nurse arrived with Minister Bai’s trusted aides, requesting an audience. She then reported in full detail the capture of the intruders.
“How audacious!” Madam Bai slammed the table in fury. “Bring them in! I want to see exactly who dared to scheme against my family!”
Minister Bai was equally enraged. He sat in his chair, his mustache trembling, his eyes blazing with anger. The more he listened to the old nurse’s report, the darker his expression became—he was clearly furious.
“Interrogating them in private would be too lenient,” Minister Bai said, trying to calm his wife. “Have them thrown into the dungeon. If they refuse to confess, use torture.”
At this point, he no longer cared about following proper legal procedures. These people had attempted to harm his son, to swap out the real bride, and send his son to a beggar’s den.
If their plan had succeeded, would his Mo Mo even have survived?
In reality, these criminals had no significant backing. Terrified by Minister Bai’s threats, they confessed everything before even being thrown into prison. They revealed that they had already abducted someone from the Bai household and sent them to the beggar’s den to create an opening for the fake bride to infiltrate.
Minister Bai and Madam Bai exchanged shocked glances.
Someone had been taken from their household and sent to a beggar’s den?
But just a moment ago, Mo Mo had bid them farewell—so who had been kidnapped?
Madam Bai, despite her anger, still had a kind heart. Someone in the household had suffered in Mo Mo’s place, and she could not ignore it. She immediately ordered Minister Bai to lead a rescue mission. No matter what, it was a failure of the Bai family’s security that had allowed intruders inside. They not only had to rescue the victim but also make proper arrangements for them—releasing them from their servant status would be the least they could do.
Minister Bai hurriedly left to handle the situation.
…
Meanwhile, the wedding procession completed its grand tour through the streets and made its way to the ancestral shrine of the Yu family. There, Bai Mo was officially registered into the family records and introduced to the clan elders. Only after completing these formalities did they return to the Yu residence for the wedding ceremony.
Before the couple could formally wed, they first had to go to the Yu household to kneel and offer tea to their elders—a tradition that held particular significance in a groom’s wedding.
One of the advantages of a groom’s marriage was that if both sets of parents were still alive, they could all be present at the ceremony together.
The beggar’s den wasn’t difficult to locate—Wei Yuyan had intended to make a big spectacle out of it, so it was set up just outside the city.
When Minister Bai arrived, he found a group of beggars surrounding Lan Gaoyi. Most of his clothes had already been stripped off, and his body was covered in dust. Fortunately, nothing irreversible had happened yet—there was still time.
“Step aside! Move away!” The guards dispersed the beggars in groups of three to five. In the face of absolute force, numbers meant little. The beggars were quickly subdued.
But when Minister Bai finally got a clear look at the half-naked man’s face, he was utterly shocked.
Th-Third Prince?!
This was a disaster—a catastrophe! A crime worthy of exterminating nine generations of his family!
That was the only thought Minister Bai could process in his stunned state.
At that moment, Lan Gaoyi opened his eyes. His body felt cold, and he saw the beggars standing off to the side. His expression darkened, his face shifting from black to green with rage. He gritted his teeth and spat out a name:
“Wei. Yu. Yan.”
On the way here, he had woken up once from the jolting movements. Though the drug he had been given had clouded his memory, making him forget infiltrating the Bai residence, he did recall hearing the voices of those who had carried him.
“This is what you get for offending an official’s daughter. A noble young master like you, about to be ruined like this.”
“He’s going to be used anyway—why don’t we have some fun first?”
“Shut up! That Wei girl arranged for people to watch the show. You want to get caught in the act?”
“Hiss—so ruthless! Not only is she handing him over to the old beggar to ruin, but she also wants to expose it publicly. A pampered young master like him… there’s no way he’ll survive this…”