As the firecrackers rang out, Mrs. Quan shouted outside the wedding room, "The groom is here to pick up the bride!"
Jiang Changning saw the man walking in through the fan.
If a woman's most beautiful day is when she becomes a bride, then a man's most handsome day is when he becomes a groom.
He was already a handsome man, and in the auspicious dress, he looked even more dazzling.
"The groom bows," Mrs. Quan said loudly.
"Helian Yu greets his wife, and his wife is polite." Prince Jin bowed.
He got what he wanted and saw Jiang Changning in her wedding dress, which was truly stunning.
Jiang Changning smiled faintly behind the fan. In a woman's life, only at this moment could she receive such a great gift from her husband, the only great gift.
"Princess, please stand up." The matchmaker who came from the palace came forward to support Jiang Changning.
Jiang Changning took a step forward, and the matchmaker said, "One step forward, and you won't have to worry about wealth and glory."
Take one more step, and the matchmaker said: "Take two more steps, and we will fly together till we grow old together."
"Three steps, and you will have two sons and two daughters, and grandchildren around you."
With the help of Mrs. Quan and Mrs. Xi, Jiang Changning walked step by step to the side of Prince Jin.
Prince Jin took her out to the wedding hall, where the Duke of Xinjian and the Grand Princess Jiashan would act as the bride's elders today.
The newlyweds knelt down to listen to the lesson. The Xinjian County Lord said, "We are married and promised to be together forever. I hope you two will respect and love each other and support each other."
Princess Jiashan said directly: "Chun'an is a good girl, Yu'er, you must treat her well. Chun'an, if Yu'er dares to bully you, come and tell me, I will take care of it for you."
"The prince is an upright gentleman and will not bully Changning." Jiang Changning said softly.
Prince Jin glanced at Jiang Changning and found her to be quite likable.
Princess Jiashan didn't spend much time with her before she took her under her protection.
However, this was something he was happy to see happen, and it was also his purpose in making Princess Jiashan his wife.
Princess Jiashan took the red veil and covered Jiang Changning's head with it, "The bride is leaving the house."
The orchestra sounded, full of festive and cheerful music.
When they reached the door, Prince Jin said with a smile, "Princess, please get in the sedan chair."
Mrs. Quan and Mrs. Xi helped Jiang Changning onto the bridal sedan. When the curtain embroidered with phoenixes and peonies was lowered, the light inside the sedan became dim.
"Lift the sedan." the master of ceremonies shouted.
Prince Jin climbed onto his horse, looking very pleased with himself.
The bridal sedan went around the main road of the capital. The sedan bearers carried it very steadily, and it did not shake at all, which would have embarrassed the bride in the sedan.
It was a wonderful sight to parade through the streets, but it took a little too long, almost two hours, and Jiang Changning was so hungry that she was almost doubting whether she could hold on to complete the wedding.
Amidst the sounds of congratulations, the wedding procession finally arrived at the gate of Prince Jin's Mansion.
Listening to the crackling sound of firecrackers outside the sedan, Jiang Changning felt like his ears were going deaf.
Amid the sound of firecrackers, the master of ceremonies shouted, "Get off the sedan!"
Then the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and the voice of Mrs. Quan sounded, "Princess, please get off the sedan chair."
Jiang Changning stretched out his hand and placed it on Mrs. Quan's hand.
With the help of two maids, she got out of the sedan chair.
A red silk was stuffed into her hand, "Princess, we are entering."
After entering the palace gate, we crossed one door after another and walked through one corridor after another, hearing auspicious words.
Finally they arrived at the wedding hall where the ceremony was to be held. The Princess Dowager of Prince Jin was already sitting high up in the hall with a smile on her face, but not in her eyes.
Sitting on the chair next to her was a little girl of about seven or eight years old. She was the Prince of Jin's niece, Princess Kangren.
Mrs. Qiao is a widow, so she has to avoid such happy occasions.
After the eunuch sent by the Queen Mother read out the reward decree, the worship of heaven and earth officially began.
Bow twice to your parents, kneel down, and kowtow three times.
The husband and wife bow to each other, kneel, and kowtow three times.
"The ceremony is over. Send her to the bridal chamber." the master of ceremonies said loudly.
Jiang Changning was helped into the bridal chamber, where she sat on the wedding bed, waiting for Prince Jin to lift the veil.
"The groom, please accept the wedding scale and be as happy as you can be." Mrs. Quan presented the mahogany scale to Prince Jin with both hands.
The matchmaker continued, "Please pick up the veil, groom, and may you and your spouse live happily ever after."
Prince Jin took the scale and immediately lifted the veil on Jiang Changning's head.
The bright light made Jiang Changning squint slightly.
Prince Jin sat down next to Jiang Changning, and the two maids began to go through the procedures in the bridal chamber.
First, tie the corners of the two people's clothes together, then cut a strand of hair from each of them and tie them together. This is called tying the hair.
Jiang Changning's eyes flickered slightly. This was a ceremony only performed by the original wife.
The Prince of Jin is marrying her according to the ceremony for his original wife.
Acting doesn't have to be so exaggerated, right
The old woman brought a red jade wedding cup with two wedding ceremonies carved on it, and said, "The newlyweds should drink from the wedding cup."
When drinking the wedding wine, Jiang Changning paid attention to the man's clean and delicate jaw.
What King Jin was paying attention to was Jiang Changning's fair and slender hands. The red jade cup made her fingers look as white as snow.
Both were satisfied with what they saw.
While eating raw dumplings, when the matchmaker said, "The bride says she wants raw dumplings," Jiang Changning appropriately acted shy and lowered her head.
Jiang Changning couldn't control his face to turn red, which was such a difficult task.
Next is the tent throwing. While throwing red dates, peanuts, longans and other things at the couple, the couple sings the tent throwing lyrics, "The tent is thrown east, the groom is like a bee gathering flowers... Tonight, we have done something together, but the rooster that crows in the cage is a pity... Dear guests, go and have a drink, our marriage was decided five hundred years ago."
After the process was completed, Prince Jin was about to go out to toast, and said softly, "Princess, I will be back soon."
Jiang Changning lowered his head and responded softly.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. We will accompany the princess." A middle-aged woman said with a smile.
After the Prince of Jin left, the woman said, "Princess, you should call me your cousin. I am the wife of the eldest nephew of the Concubine Dowager. My maiden name is Chen."
"Cousin." Jiang Changning called politely.
Gu Chen introduced three other women to her, all of whom were from the family of the Princess Dowager of Jin.
After chatting for a while, Fang Ju came in with her maid carrying a food box. "The prince was afraid that the young lady would be hungry, so he specially asked the cook to prepare a few easily digestible meals for her."
Gu Chen and the others immediately praised Prince Jin, "Your Highness is really thoughtful."
"The prince is so kind to the princess. He was afraid that the princess would be hungry, so he specially asked the cook to prepare food for her."
Jiang Changning was about to have a meal, so several women and two maids left, leaving only Jiang Changning and his servant in the room.
"Help me take off this crown first." Jiang Changning said, holding his neck.
She took off the Zhai crown that weighed more than ten pounds, took off the heavy dragon and phoenix bracelet on her wrist, and took off the heavy wedding dress.
Take off your makeup, wash your face and hands, sit at the table and start eating, feeling refreshed.
Jiang Changning was so hungry that he didn't notice that one of the maids Fang Ju brought in was missing.
Xiulan noticed it, but now was not a good time to ask questions.
After finishing a bowl of stomach-warming porridge that strengthened the spleen and replenished qi, Jiang Changning felt like she was alive again. She did not become the first bride to starve to death on her wedding night.
After she had eaten her fill and rested for a while, she went to the toilet and washed herself, then sat back on the wedding bed and waited for Prince Jin.
(End of this chapter)