Bridal chamber

  Soft and delicate, fragrant and smooth! Lin Xue got up to send Jing Shu back to her room, and as he stretched out his hand to support her, their ten fingers inadvertently intertwined. Savoring the mysterious tactile sensation transmitted from the fingertips, Lin Xue suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and only then did he realize that a surge of heat had rushed up from the base of his spine to the top of his head. If Meng Yanran hadn't been present in the room at that moment, Lin Xue might have also found it hard to resist doing something beastly.

  He couldn't help but sigh as he felt the fox spirit's ability to charm and captivate people. No wonder ancient people would often say that beautiful women have skin as soft as a willow branch, and skin as smooth as cream - it was indeed true.

  What is referred to as "soft jade" refers to the tender shoots of grass, because they are white and smooth, soft and delicate, and when pinched, water comes out, with a faint fragrance. In ancient times, scholars used it to describe the slender fingers of beautiful women.

  Such rhetoric, full of rich literary flavor, Lin Xu had heard before, but he never took it seriously. Even if such a rare beauty really existed in the world, she would certainly be a forbidden treasure for the nobles, a private favorite in their inner chambers. What qualifications did Lin Xu, a commoner who toiled for three meals a day, have to touch her? His first hand-holding with Jing Shu was truly an eye-opener, no wonder the ancients coined phrases like "overturning cities and countries" - even with the will of the gods, he felt his heart fluttering and couldn't control himself after touching Jing Shu.

  If it were a normal man with vigor and vitality, he would definitely stand up straight and fight to the death without giving in.

  Jingyu and Mengyan's residences were separate courtyards, one in the east wing and one in the west wing. The bridal chamber shared by the three was a south-facing main house. From an overall perspective, it was also an exclusive area independent of other buildings in the Mountain God Temple.

  Lin Xuan sent Jing Yu away and after returning, in order to be fair and avoid the threat of a fire in his own backyard, he didn't do anything with Meng Yanran in this formal bridal chamber. Instead, he supported her as they headed towards the East Wing, not far from there.

  "Sir, shall I attend you in your bath?"

  Meng Yanran took off the cumbersome hair ornaments on her head, and at this moment she looked at Lin Xu with autumn water in her eyes, and asked a sentence timidly.

  Unlike the world where people are free to love, in the Great Qin Empire, they still adhere to parental orders and matchmaker's words. For local residents, becoming husband and wife with someone of the opposite sex whom you have never met before is a very normal thing. Although Lin Xu felt uncomfortable about this feeling of being unable to control his own body, since he had already bought the ticket, if he were to say that he wouldn't get on the train now, it would not only be pretentious but also extremely uncool.

  After some thought, Lin Xu nodded and said:

  "Alright!"

  Only a fully free market competition environment can create a good service environment for end-consumers, this statement is absolutely true.

  If Lin Xu had married only one woman, he would not have enjoyed such high treatment. Let alone the double happiness bath, even asking his bride to bring him a towel while bathing would be a daydream.

  Under the patriarchal system of ancient Chinese culture, the practice of one husband and one wife with multiple concubines was followed. The term "concubine" originally referred specifically to female slaves. From this, it can be inferred that in an ancient family, a concubine played a lowly and humble role.

  In contrast, husbands and wives are equal and independent individuals. As a wife, the woman does not need to deliberately try to please her husband. Especially in large families with more rules, such purely serving tasks are usually handled by concubines and maidservants.

  A wife who has been formally married into the family enjoys a very high social status in the whole family. If there is no sufficient reason to stand, even if the husband wants to divorce his wife, it's just a joke. On the other hand, if the wife's natal family is powerful, it would be good enough that she doesn't bully her own husband. Therefore, the statement that ancient women had no status is absolutely wrong. It can only be said that women who cannot become legitimate wives and have poor family backgrounds have no status. To generalize is a big mistake.

  A thick layer of jasmine and yulan flowers floated on the surface of the hot water in the wooden bucket, emitting a faint fragrance that lingered at the tip of his nose. The sound of splashing water paused for a moment, and Lin Xu closed his eyes and said:

  "Yan Ran, I'm calling you like this, is it okay?"

  Even in close proximity to a perfect-bodied opposite sex, even if it was her legitimate husband, Meng Yanran still felt dizzy and lightheaded as she helped Lin Xu bathe. She bit her lower lip, reminding herself that she must not lose her composure. Upon hearing the sound, she paused for a moment before responding:

  "You can call me whatever you like."

  "Alright then. Next time don't fight with Jing Shu again, the two of you will never be able to determine who wins or loses if you keep fighting like this."

  At this time, Meng Yanran's pretty face suddenly turned pale, and her voice trembled slightly as she said:

  "Sir, have you grown tired of me?"

  Hearing this, Lin Xu was shocked and hastily added:

  "Abandon? Where did that come from? I didn't mean it. Jingyu is a descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox Qingqiu clan, this relationship can be very helpful in dissolving the demon alliance, if you continue to fight her, I'm afraid it will ruin my plan, do you understand?"

  In ancient agricultural society, the basic requirement for women was to be a good wife and mother. Supporting her husband's career development was a woman's duty, and giving birth to children was a heavenly mission. Meng Yanran was a well-educated lady, although she had an unyielding heart, but Lin Xu said it so clearly that she could no longer maintain her pride.

  After a while, Meng Yanran finally understood the meaning of Lin Xu's words and lowered her head, saying:

  "Yes, I understand... Waaah!"

  But just as she was halfway through her words, Meng Yanran's small mouth was suddenly and fiercely kissed by Lin Xu, causing her to lose her composure, her pale face instantly flushing a captivating crimson. Petty palace struggles were now thrown to the back of her mind, Meng Yanran's heart only had room for the man in front of her who would be with her till the end of time. Having successfully disrupted the bride's thoughts, Lin Xu revealed a slightly wicked smile and released the somewhat dazed Meng Yanran.

  After shaking off the water from his body, Lin Xuan jumped out of the bathtub and grabbed the beauty in front of him, saying:

  "My dear wife! It's getting late, let me serve you and help you get some rest!"

  Having said that, Lin Xu waved his hand to extinguish the candles in the room. The array diagram that had been prepared early also started to operate, isolating the bridal chamber inside and out into two worlds that did not interfere with each other.

  Some people are happy, some people worry. On the other side, Lin Xu was holding Meng Yanran and talking nonsense at the same time, while on the other side, the fox girl Jing Xiu, who was guarding the empty room alone, was not so calm. She removed her intricate makeup in front of the copper mirror, pacing back and forth in the room, calculating the passage of time, and occasionally looking out the window at the quiet courtyard under the moonlight, which was a silver white expanse.

  After waiting for a long time, Jingyu couldn't help but complain:

  "Why hasn't he come yet?!"

  "Ouch!"

  Don't talk about people during the day, and don't discuss ghosts at night. The beautiful woman Jing Yu was lost in thought for a moment, then turned around to hear the dry sound of the door being pushed open.

  Knowing it was impossible for anyone else to enter, Jingyu hastily got up to greet him and said:

  "I am quiet and gentle, I have seen my husband."

  Lin Xu changed into another deep purple robe and smiled as he said:

  "Must be getting impatient by now?"

  If this sentence were spoken by a pair of lovers meeting in secret on a moonlit night, teasing each other would be harmless. However, coming from the mouth of a newlywed husband who had never met his bride before, it can't help but carry a hint of frivolity.

  Upon hearing this, Jing Yu slightly furrowed her brow, then seemed to realize something and smiled as she said:

  "Please sit down, sir. Has Yanyan gone to sleep?"

  "Hmm, she should be asleep by now. What? Do you have something to say to me?"

  Every era has its own characteristics, and the marriage system of ancient China was not fixed. In the simple and unsophisticated pre-Qin era, young men and women going on dates in the countryside were normal behavior. At least for an era when the population was not as dense as that of wild beasts, organizing young people's dating was an important way to increase the country's population, with profound significance for the development and prosperity of human society. Unlike later generations who indulged purely for lust rather than for population growth, a pair of men and women having affairs or one-night stands are not comparable. As for arranged marriages by parents, that was even rarer.

  This piece of land was inherited from the Great Qin Empire, and the Legalist school of thought increasingly occupied the mainstream of society. After Emperor Fusu ascended to the throne, he began to support the declining schools of thought, avoiding the continued dominance of the Legalists. Some emperors later also used Confucianism to govern the country, promoting the moral order of Zhou Li, but overall, the Great Qin Empire still revered the law and everything had to be prioritized by order.

  It is said that the laws and regulations of Qin State are very strict, which is not an exaggeration or a label attached after its downfall, but indeed it was the case.

  For example, when Jing Ke assassinated the King of Qin in the past, Emperor Zhao Zheng was chased by Jing Ke, who held a dagger, and jumped up and down on the grand hall, looking as embarrassed as a monkey in a circus. Hundreds of fully armed Qin soldiers standing under the temple watched this scene with their eyes open, but no one dared to step onto the temple half a step. The reason why the soldiers had such an unbearable performance was not because they lacked the courage to fight against the assassin, but because the law of the Qin state stipulated that holding weapons and entering the temple would be punishable by death.

  Talking about the severity and meticulousness of Qin law, this can also be seen from this, let alone more exaggerated examples!

  The unearthed Qin Dynasty bamboo slips show that the Qin state not only required farmers to start cultivating their land at a time stipulated by law, but also specified how many seeds should be used per mu of land. This requirement is harsh even for modern people who are accustomed to quantitative management and scientific planting.

  What is referred to as customs are the prevailing habits of life, and under the influence of the overall environment, the folk customs and gods of this region, even the demons, cannot help but be indirectly influenced, and have taken a development path different from that of the Huaxia Dynasty on Earth. Although the marriage system basically follows the basic procedure of three mediations and six betrothals, women do not pay much attention to the three obediences and four virtues, and widows remarrying is also a common thing. The social status of women mainly depends on their maternal family background and their position in the entire marriage.

  At this moment, facing Lin Xu's scrutinizing gaze, Jing Shu said calmly:

  "May I ask, sir, is the position of first wife being reserved for which one of your sisters who has yet to enter the household?"

  Upon hearing this, Lin Xu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said:

  "That's not it, you're trying to say..."

  Having obtained the intelligence she wanted from Lin Xu, Jing Shu no longer had the heart to continue teasing him. With a sly smile, she said:

  "Husband, people say that the night is short and precious, don't waste all the good time chatting!"