Xie Nanjia also got up early in the morning to wash and change her clothes. Old Madam Cheng personally cleaned her face, Princess Anping personally combed her hair, and Sheng Qingluan and Sheng Qingyun together dressed her in a wedding dress with a phoenix coronet and a bridal robe, a chest-wrapped skirt embroidered with phoenixes playing with peonies in gold thread, and a bright red wide-sleeved robe with auspicious dragons and phoenixes, which was embellished with huge oriental pearls. On her feet, she wore a pair of red brocade embroidered shoes with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water, which were also inlaid with pearls. She was so beautiful and elegant.
It took a full hour to dress up, and it was already noon when she finished. All the female relatives surrounded Xie Nanjia and were amazed, but Xie Nanjia just wanted to drink water and eat something.
There was loud sound of drums and music outside. Zhao Jingyu didn't know where she was now. If someone didn't come and pick her up quickly, she might faint from hunger.
After persisting for a while, the relatives who watched her dress up finally left. The room became quiet, and Biluo quickly asked her if she wanted to eat something secretly first.
Liusu said no, the wedding would not end until dark, and it would be awkward if she wanted to go to the bathroom after eating.
Biluo said that one can’t let people starve all the time. What if the young lady faints from hunger before they can pay their respects to heaven and earth
The two were arguing, so Xie Nanjia had to interrupt them and said that she was not hungry yet and could still hold on.
This outfit was too complicated, and she was also worried about going to the bathroom, so she had to endure it.
In order to divert her attention, Liusu asked her how she felt at the moment.
Xie Nanjia felt it carefully and it seemed that besides being hungry, he just wanted to see Zhao Jingyu as soon as possible.
She hasn't seen him for three days.
But it seemed quite unreserved to say this, so she said vaguely: "Nothing, just a little nervous."
"Just nervous?" Biluo was not satisfied with the answer. "You married a peerless handsome man that every girl dreams of. Aren't you excited?"
"..." Xie Nanjia was speechless. This girl had been with Zhao Jingyu for a long time, and even her speech became as exaggerated as Zhao Jingyu's.
"What a handsome man! He's just like that after looking at him for a long time." She said nonchalantly.
"How could that be? We have been watching him for many years, and we still think that the Second Young Master is the most handsome man in the world." Biluo said.
"Then maybe you are the one whose lover sees beauty in everything." Xie Nanjia couldn't help teasing her.
Biluo blushed and said, "Miss, what are you talking about? I don't have that kind of thought. I just admire and feel grateful to the Second Young Master."
Liusu said: "It's useless even if you have that thought. The second young master only has eyes for the young lady."
Xie Nanjia laughed and even forgot about being hungry.
While waiting for Zhao Jingyu, she couldn't help but recall the scene when she married Zhao Jingping. All the details had become blurred. She only remembered that there was no festive feeling in the general's mansion. She and her mother were still crying until she got on the sedan chair. Her brother carried her to the front of the sedan chair. Zhao Jingping reached out to catch her, but was punched by her brother.
It was probably from that time that Zhao Jingping started to be afraid of the south wind, and he is still afraid of it now.
That day she cried in the sedan chair all the way to the Marquis' Mansion. When she was worshiping heaven and earth, her veil accidentally slipped down, and everyone saw her red and swollen eyes.
That night, Zhao Jingping was drunk and did not return to the bridal chamber all night. The next day, he was said to have left Aunt Xue's courtyard.
But she was not angry at all. Instead, she was glad that she had escaped. She wanted to give a big gift to the person who got Zhao Jingping drunk to express her gratitude.
Time passed so quickly, and five or six years had gone by in the blink of an eye. At that time, she thought that she would be trapped in the backyard of Dingyuan Marquis Mansion for the rest of her life, wasting her time and dying in depression. She did not expect that now she would marry into the Eastern Palace and become the Crown Princess. The arrangement of fate was so wonderful.
As she was sighing with emotion, she suddenly heard drums and music outside the mansion gate, and firecrackers blasted. A little girl ran in excitedly and called her, "Miss, Miss, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is at the gate!"
Xie Nanjia was originally very calm, but somehow she suddenly became excited, her heart was pounding and her palms were sweating.
There was a lot of noise in front of the door for a while. Maids ran into the house one after another and told her that the Crown Prince was stopped by his sisters-in-law. Each sister-in-law gave him a difficult question, asking him to compose poems, sing songs, play pitch pots, and shoot coins. In short, they made things difficult for him and he had to pass twelve levels before he could enter the house.
The little girl was talking so animatedly that Xie Nanjia couldn't help wanting to go and take a look.
Liu Su said worriedly, "Second Master has been waiting for this day for so long. What if he gets angry because of the hardship he suffers?"
"How is that possible? What day is today? No matter how anxious the Second Young Master is, he will hold back. Every groom has done this before." Biluo said.
Zhao Jingyu was indeed a little anxious. He had never been treated so hard in his life. He didn't know why Xie Nanjia had so many sisters-in-law. He had to go through one hurdle after another, but there was no end in sight.
The crowds of onlookers crowded in three layers inside and outside, making him sweat all over. He finally passed the eleven levels, but the last level had a copper coin hung on a big locust tree, and he had to shoot the center of the copper wire. They also said that this had a very good meaning and that if he shot it, he would get pregnant. He was so angry that he almost laughed.
But what can be done, Cheng Zhiye said, every groom is like this, he can't refuse, nor can he be annoyed.
"Besides, don't you want your wife to get pregnant sooner?" Cheng Zhiye said proudly, "Anyway, I hit the target with one shot."
"..." Zhao Jingyu was immediately inspired by him. He grabbed the longbow tied with a red ribbon and placed on the gilded tray. He put the feather arrow that had the arrowhead deliberately removed and painted bright red on the string, pulled the bow to its full length, and aimed at the copper coin on the treetop.
The copper coin was hung too high and swung back and forth when the wind blew, making it difficult to aim. Zhao Jingyu cursed inwardly, wondering who came up with this bad idea. If the groom's archery skills were worse, wouldn't the daughter of this family never be able to get married
Fortunately, I am an excellent archer, otherwise Xiu'er would not be able to get married. He thought to himself, pursed his lips, loosened his hand, and the feather arrow whizzed up to the branch and hit the center of the copper coin.
The coins fell, and everyone cheered in unison: "We got it, we got it, the groom is so awesome!"
Zhao Jingyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, raised his eyebrows proudly at Cheng Zhiye, and was surrounded by Xie Nanjia's twelve brothers and sisters-in-law and walked into the hall.
The old Duke and his wife and the young Duke and his wife sat in the main seats, waiting for the groom to come over and pay their respects.
Because Zhao Jingyu was the crown prince, he could not kneel or kowtow, so he respectfully bowed three times to show his respect.
After the formalities, the banquet was served and Zhao Jingyu was invited to sit at the seat of honor. The twelve brothers of the Su family accompanied him to the banquet.
Because the person would be taken away after the banquet, Sheng Qingluan and Sheng Qingyun went to Xie Nanjia's room to say goodbye to her for the last time.
Sheng Qingluan probably thought of the sadness of her daughter's last wedding. Now, seeing her daughter wearing a bright red wedding dress and marrying her ideal husband again, she couldn't help but feel mixed emotions and tears welled up in her eyes.
Sheng Qingyun was also reluctant to part with her daughter. She wiped her tears and said, "You were lost for twelve years. I finally found you, but now you have to marry her off again. Mother really can't bear to part with you."
Xie Nanjia held one of them in each hand and comforted them with a smile: "I will come back to visit mother often. When I settle down in the East Palace, I will take you to play."
Sheng Qingluan said: "The palace is different from the outside world. There are many rules and regulations. You must be careful and cautious, pay attention to everything, and control your strong temper. When you need to be tactful, learn to be tactful, and do your best to assist the prince. Don't be petty or lose your temper. You must regard your husband as your God..."
Before she could finish, Xie Nanjia burst out laughing. Although what her mother said was right, she couldn't help laughing when she thought about taking Zhao Jingyu as her heaven.
"This child, why is he still not behaved properly?" Sheng Qingluan said helplessly, "I know you and the prince have a good relationship, which is different from ordinary couples, but he is your husband after all. You have to respect him and don't take him lightly."
"I understand. I respect him and take him seriously. Don't worry, mother!" Xie Nanjia agreed with a smile.
At this time, music urging the dressing was played outside. With the sound of three dressing cannons, a maid from the palace came in with dressing ingots to urge the dressing. She said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had already had the banquet and the auspicious time set by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory had arrived, so the Crown Princess was asked to set off for the palace immediately.
Sister Sheng Qingluan stood up and covered Xie Nanjia with the big red veil that she had embroidered herself, called Su Jincheng in, and carried Xie Nanjia out of the boudoir.
The rest of her brothers and sisters-in-law formed two rows and followed her on both sides, protecting her as she walked out of Tianxiangju and came to the sedan chair surrounded by the guests.
Zhao Jingyu drank a few glasses of wine, her jade-like skin was slightly flushed. She stood in front of the sedan chair and watched Xie Nanjia being carried slowly by Su Jincheng. She couldn't help but smile with her peach blossom eyes.
According to the custom of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the bride's feet could not touch the ground before entering her husband's house, and the groom had to carry her into the bridal sedan.
This was probably the only custom that Zhao Jingyu thought was very reasonable. Under the guidance of the nanny, he took Xie Nanjia from Su Jincheng's back, held her horizontally in his arms, and smiled with joy. The guests watching the ceremony around him laughed when they saw his unconcealed joy.
Zhao Jingyu put Xie Nanjia into the bridal sedan amid people's laughter, but did not immediately withdraw. Instead, he asked through the veil, "Wife, are you thirsty? Are you hungry?"
"..." Asked this kind of question at this time, Xie Nanjia didn't know whether to feel depressed or touched.
"I'm hungry." She whispered, "I haven't eaten anything or drunk any water since this morning."
"I knew it." Zhao Jingyu reached out and took out a small bottle from his bosom and handed it to her. "This is the pill I begged from Hu Qianshan. It can quench thirst and hunger. Take two pills first. When we get to the palace, I'll have someone prepare delicious food for you."
Xie Nanjia was touched by his thoughtfulness and said "thank you" to him while holding the bottle.
"Why are you being polite to me?" Zhao Jingyu said with a smile.
The people outside saw that he hadn't come out for a long time, so they laughed and called out to him, "Your Highness, it's too early to enter the bridal chamber!"
Xie Nanjia was so embarrassed that she kept urging him to get out.
Zhao Jingyu reluctantly retracted his head, closed the curtain tightly, and shouted at the people who were making trouble, "Why are you rushing me? How can you be more anxious than me?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Amid laughter, Wei Jun led the horse, Zhao Jingyu climbed onto the horse, and the person leading the sedan chair shouted "Lift the sedan chair", and eight burly bearers with red silk ribbons tied around their waists lifted the sedan chair. The twelve brothers and sisters-in-law of the Su family followed behind the sedan chair to see them off, and the group left the mansion in a mighty procession.
Xie Nanfeng did not come to see off the bride. Today, he is not only responsible for the security of the entire city, but also has to personally lead the troops to protect the safety of the newlyweds and the dowry along the way.
The bridal sedan went first, followed by the dowry. More than a hundred dowries were carried along the long street like a fire dragon, attracting people to watch. The first thing they lifted was the dragon and phoenix jade pendant given by the old Duke. It was placed on the bright red brocade, exuding an ancient and warm luster. Such an ancient artifact was indeed, as the old Duke said, a unique dowry in the Great Zhou.
The ten miles of red wedding dazzled everyone's eyes. What was even more extravagant was that from the moment the bridal sedan left the road, palace maids in wedding dresses began to scatter money on both sides of the road. Baskets of copper coins seemed like gold rain falling from the sky, and they did not stop until the bridal sedan entered the imperial city.
It is said that more than 500 baskets of copper coins were scattered along the way. In order to prevent trampling, several thousand soldiers were sent to maintain order.
The spectators who had booked tables at the restaurants and teahouses along the street could not resist the temptation and ran downstairs to the streets to grab the wedding money.
Those who can reserve a table upstairs are not short of money, but they mainly want to share in the royal family's good fortune and bring good luck.
Zhao Jingyu rode his horse in front, looking at the lively and festive scene on the street. Then he looked at the big red sedan following behind him. Thinking of his bride sitting in the sedan, his heart was filled with joy.
In a trance, he vaguely felt that there seemed to be a pair of eyes staring at him from somewhere on the left. He turned his head sharply and looked over there, and found a man on the roof of an armory.
The man was tall and strong, with a sturdy temperament. Even from such a distance, one could see his bright eyes.
Feeling Zhao Jingyu's gaze, the man stood motionless on the roof. After looking at Zhao Jingyu calmly for a moment, he put one hand on his chest and saluted from a distance.
Zhao Jingyu gave him a faint smile, nodded slightly, turned around and continued riding forward.
There was still loud drums and music and laughter all around, and no one noticed the little interaction between them.
The bridal sedan was carried from Zhengyang Gate into the East Palace. Xie Nanjia got off the sedan outside the main hall door. Zhao Jingyu took her hand and led her across the saddle and into the hall over the brazier. After paying homage to the heaven and earth, he took her hand and led them into the bridal chamber. Under the supervision of an elderly maid, he lifted her red veil with a weighing rod.
Zhao Jingyu hadn't seen Xie Nanjia's face for three days. The moment the veil was lifted, his heart beat fast and his breathing paused when he saw her bright and charming face with a shy smile under the silhouette of the phoenix crown.
"Wife, you are so beautiful!" he praised from the bottom of his heart.
The old lady smiled from ear to ear and reminded him that the ceremony was not over yet and asked him to be patient for a while.
Then they ate raw dumplings and drank wedding wine. They each cut a lock of hair and tied them together to symbolize eternal love. Only then was the wedding complete.
However, Zhao Jingyu couldn't just stay. He had to go out to toast the guests attending the wedding, and also personally entertain Xie Nanjia's twelve pairs of brothers and sisters-in-law who came to see her off.
Zhao Jingyu was asked to leave by the nanny very reluctantly. Before leaving, she did not forget to ask Wei Jun to get food for Xie Nanjia.
When he arrived at the banquet hall, a bunch of good friends were waiting to get him drunk. Today was the last day they could play together freely. After today, they would have to pay attention to the differences between the ruler and the subjects.
Zhao Jingyu saw that things were not going well, so he shouted as soon as he entered the door: "Let me make it clear first, no one is allowed to force me to drink today. If you delay my important business, I will be very angry with you!"
The group of people were not willing to listen. They rushed up and surrounded him, making a fuss until the palace was under curfew, and then they went home having fun.
After the guests left, Zhao Jingyu couldn't wait to return to the bridal chamber.
Xie Nanjia ate something and sat on the bed waiting for him. When she heard his footsteps, she leaned out the door and saw him staggering. She went over to him, supported him, and asked softly, "How much did you drink?"
Zhao Jingyu leaned on her, looked into her eyes steadily, and said with a chuckle, "Don't worry, my wife. I can drink a lot, so I won't be delayed in my work."
Xie Nanjia: “…”
(End of this chapter)