The Marquis Is Innocent
Chapter 96.2

The Taishe Festival at the beginning of February was crucial for the farmers. Early in the morning, the villagers bring leeks, eggs, and newly made wine to gather in front of the Taishe Temple in the eastern suburb of Mulberry Forest.

At an auspicious time, the drums started to beat then the Yuyang Magistrate led the villagers behind him to perform the ritual of kowtowing to the Earth’s God, toasting wine, offering food and five seeds, saying prayers, and finally handing the incense to Xiao Qiao, who had purified her hands and then inserted them into the altar with her own hands. She completed the ritual by praying to God.

As the ruler of this land, the people worshiped the Wei family. In the past few years, Mrs. Zhu was arrogant and left immediately after the ritual had finished. This year, there was a new lady. When the people saw the new madam of the Wei family, who was young and beautiful with a lovely smile, they all fell in love with her. After they finished the ritual, they surrounded her and asked her to taste the new wine, to let her judge whether it was good, and have fun with them.

The wine tasting was one of the traditional events of the Taishe Festival. Each family offered a wine, then the Magistrate chose the best one to put on the altar, and the family would be honored.

Xiao Qiao could not resist the generosity of the people, so she came to the wine-tasting table with the Yuyang Magistrate.

On the table, there were wine jars neatly arranged. There was a mark on the belly of each wine jar.

The noble ladies were also interested in drinking wine as well. Mrs. Xu was a good drinker. Despite her old age, she still rinsed her mouth with warm wine after each meal.

Xiao Qiao was a shallow drinker and did not drink much during her days. Once she saw a long line of wine jars waiting for her to drink one by one, she felt nervous. But she had already arrived here, surrounded by all the expectant eyes, just like a duck on a basket, so she could only put her head on the line and go up with the Yuyang Magistrate, starting with the first unsealed wine jar and tasting the wine one by one.

Luckily, she only had to take a shallow sip to taste the wine.

Because they were all newly brewed wines and sent by the families with concern, she did not dare to do it carelessly.

She tried to savor the taste of every sip of the wine. Rich or light, sour or smooth, she slowly tasted all of them from beginning to end.

Finally, she discussed with the Yuyang Magistrate and chose one of them as the winner.

The villagers in the pavilion cheered, drank the remaining wine, and offered the new wine on the altar.

Then comes the community dance. The drums played in the Mulberry Forest, and people celebrated with joy. Young men and women chased around the mulberry trees, leaving behind bursts of laughter.

Although Xiao Qiao only took a small sip of each wine, it added quite a lot. All kinds of wine were mixed and seeped into her belly. When the Yuyang Magistrate came to invite her to watch the opera, Xiao Qiao already felt her heart beating hard and her cheeks reddened. Fortunately, Chun Niang and Old Lin helped her to conceal her drunkenness.

Xiao Qiao knew she couldn’t hold on and was afraid of making a fool of herself by getting drunk here, so she smiled and said, “Thank you for your kindness and support from the villagers. Today is an auspicious day. I hope it will bring prosperity and blessing to the villagers. I’ll leave you and the villagers to have fun together.”

Seeing that her cheeks were slightly red, the Yuyang magistrate knew she was drunk, so he did not dare to stop her and bowed to see her off.

Xiao Qiao left the temple and the Mulberry Forest. On her way out, countless villagers greeted her and sent her off. Among them were the young students of the county school who had gone to the West Queen Mother Hall.

These students came here today only to have fun, and it would be perfect if they could meet a beautiful woman. Many of them who came to Mulberry Forest last year knew that the matriarch of the Wei family was a middle-aged woman, so they did not expect anything this year.

Unexpectedly, the one who showed up this morning was the young madam they couldn’t manage to see last year. Sure enough, her appearance was like a goddess. One by one, their eyes shone while their two legs were fixed on the ground, unable to take a step.

Since Xiao Qiao showed up, this group of students from the county school followed her every step. Wherever she went, these people also followed her. They saw that she was leaving, they didn’t dare to get too close to her because of her status, but they all crowded around and followed, only to look at her one or two more times.

When Xiao Qiao walked out, this group of frivolous sons from the county state school flocked behind, jostling and pushing each other with a look of impending hallucination on their faces.

Wei Shao rode to the entrance of Mulberry Forest and saw this scene.

He did not show up, nor did he show his face. He only stopped his horse and watched from afar as Xiao Qiao was sent to the carriage by the Yuyang Magistrate. Chun Niang and Old Lin helped her get into the carriage.

Then, the carriage left.

……

Xiao Qiao sat in the carriage, and after traveling for a while, the drunkenness became intense. Even her head was dizzy. She closed her eyes weakly, leaned against Chun Niang’s arms, and gradually fell into an intoxicated sleep. She was unaware of how she entered the city and returned to Wei Manor. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

She only felt as if Chun Niang had carried herself off the carriage and then put her to bed. Feeling that underneath her body was a bed, she relaxed and fell asleep.

Chun Niang and Old Lin stood aside, looking at the Master who had just carried the Lady out of the carriage and put her on the bed. His expression seems terrible. Chun Niang and Old Lin felt worried. Wei Shao’s eyes moved away from Xiao Qiao’s sleeping face, then said to Chun Niang: “You know the Lady can’t drink, and you’re her trusted servant, so why didn’t you advise her? To be so drunk like this outside is not decent.”

Although his tone was calm, the questioning meaning in his words was visible.

He had never been very good-tempered, but this was the first time Chun Niang had heard him speak to her in such a tone. She was ashamed of herself and did not dare to defend herself, only saying: “This servant is indeed negligent. Next time I will be extra careful in serving the Lady.”

Old Lin did not dare to breathe and only lowered her head, unmoved.

Wei Shao waved his hand. Chun Niang and Old Lin looked at each other, turned around, and left the room.

Wei Shao stood in front of the bed for a moment, gazing at the drunk and sleeping Xiao Qiao.

……

Xiao Qiao did not expect that she would accidentally get drunk when she attended the ritual today.

She was now in a drunken state but had a strange dream.

In the dream, her body seemed to be brushed by soft fur. It was so comfortable that she shivered and curled her toes.

She seemed to float in the pile of clouds, swinging. She felt so comfortable that she couldn’t help but hum softly in her dreams.

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