On the fifteenth day of the tenth month in winter, the crown prince performed the ceremony of marrying a concubine.
The emperor issued an edict to hold a three-day grand feast in front of Chengtian Gate to celebrate with the people, and also issued a general amnesty.
This grand wedding added a touch of joy to the bleak and grim city of Chang'an, where autumn leaves were falling.
On the day of the wedding, all the nobles and common people in Kyoto came out and poured into the streets to watch.
The Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion was located in Xiuxiangfang in the west of the city. The prince's wedding procession left from the Chongming Gate just south of the East Palace and headed west along the Hengjie Street. All along the way they walked was the Imperial Road, with high walls on both sides and the Jinwu Guards cleaning the road. The common people could only hear the sound of flutes and drums and the neighing of horses and carriages in the distance.
The real nobles and dignitaries all went to the East Palace to watch ceremonies and banquets. The rest, who were not qualified but had some connections, took up advantageous positions in the towers, high platforms, and Buddhist pavilions along the way, and watched from afar the prince's procession and the ten-mile red makeup of Chang'an's most beautiful woman, so that they would have no regrets in their lives.
The only place along the way where you can overlook Zhuque Street from a close distance and make out people's faces clearly is the seven-story Buddhist pavilion of Huichang Buddhist Temple.
The Dahuguo Temple is located in Jinchengfang, opposite the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, across the street from the mansion.
At this time, Sui Sui and Chun Tiao were on the top floor of the Buddhist pavilion.
The railings of the lower floors were crowded with people, and looking down one could see all sorts of colorful silks and dazzling pearls and jades.
There were only a dozen or so people on the ninth floor where they were. There were tea tables and couches placed next to the railings, separated by screens and curtains. They could enjoy the famous tea and vegetarian snacks of Huichang Temple while leaning on the railings to look out at the view.
The seats were arranged by Gao Mai. After all, Lu Suisui was the woman of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi, so she couldn't squeeze and rub shoulders with others.
For the first time, Chun Tiao felt that the money he spent to bribe the governor's office was worth it.
Her round face flushed with excitement, and she repeatedly stretched her neck to look outside the railing: "The gongs and drums have been ringing for a while, why is there still no sign of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's carriage?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a commotion all around, and someone shouted, "Here they come!" Then he saw a team of armored and wielding guards of the Eastern Palace riding on fine horses coming from the end of the street.
For a moment, golden armor shone brightly, flags covered the sky, and the sounds of drums and the thunderous sound of wheels and horse hooves resounded through the sky.
Chun Tiao excitedly pulled Sui Sui to stand up, leaned over the railing, and pointed at the carriage with brocade curtains and red wheels surrounded by ceremonial guards: "Look! That carriage is so magnificent, pulled by one, two... six horses! The two men riding in front of the carriage are so handsome..."
Everyone's attention was attracted by the two men.
Both of them were wearing purple robes, jade belts and golden crowns. One rode a white horse and the other rode a black horse.
The handsome man riding the white horse, with red lips and white teeth, although sitting upright on the horse, seems inexplicably cynical, as if he is not serving as a best man for the prince, but is out for a spring outing.
The one riding the black horse has a tall and straight figure, broad shoulders and long legs, deep eyebrows and eyes, and a stern expression, as if a sword has been unsheathed.
Sui Sui's breath was choked and the blood in his body seemed to solidify. Then he realized that it was Huan Xuan.
Chun Tiao finally came to his senses and exclaimed, whispering in Sui Sui's ear: "Isn't the best man of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince our prince?"
Sui Sui said "hmm" lightly and his eyes fell on the man riding the white horse.
If she guessed correctly, it was the famous Yuzhang King Huan Minggui.
This prince is the nephew of the current emperor. His father, the Prince of Jin, is a man of extraordinary talent, proficient in music, poetry, calligraphy and painting. He was made the crown prince in the previous emperor's dynasty, but he insisted on giving the throne to his younger brother. From then on, he devoted himself to mountains and rivers, and spent his days discussing poetry and painting with eminent monks, Taoist priests, and literati.
Like father, like son. This was even worse when it came to his son, Prince Yuzhang. Since childhood, he had regarded singing to the wind and moon and riding horses in Zhangtai as his main occupation. He was a well-known wealthy idler and a playboy.
"I wonder which family the man riding the white horse belongs to. He is such a handsome guy..."
Chun Tiao's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them. He felt that one was like cold ice in the twelfth lunar month, while the other was like peach blossoms and spring water. They were equally matched and each had their own strengths, making it difficult to make a decision.
Thinking that she was able to sit here and admire the handsome man thanks to the King of Qi, she said, "In my opinion, your Highness is more handsome, with broad shoulders, narrow waist, and straight back..."
As they were talking, the prince's carriage had arrived in front of the red gate of Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion.
Chun Tiao's heart surged, and he couldn't help but grab Sui Sui's sleeve: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is getting off the car!"
The attendants pulled the reins and dismounted their horses, and the prince got out of the carriage with the help of a ceremonial official in a red robe.
This was the moment everyone was waiting for. For a moment, everyone concentrated and held their breath, staring at the door of the carriage without blinking.
The prince, dressed in a crimson gauze robe, stood up and showed his profile.
Judging from her appearance alone, she is a handsome and well-mannered person. However, when compared with the two handsome men beside her, she immediately pales in comparison and seems mediocre in both appearance and demeanor.
Although Chun Tiao knew that one should not judge a person by his appearance, he was still a little disappointed.
The other people in the Buddhist pavilion seemed to feel the same way. After a brief silence, noisy discussions broke out again.
No one dared to criticize the prince loudly, but there were many people in the Buddhist pavilion and the seats were close together. Although separated by screens and curtains, whispers could still be heard.
Sitting next to them were a few young girls, who couldn't help but talk about the handsome man when they saw him.
"His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is better seen in person than heard of. He is truly as handsome as jade and unrivaled in beauty..."
"He looks good, but he's too cold and hard to get close to... But the Prince of Yuzhang is handsome and elegant, like a banished immortal..."
Someone burst out laughing and said teasingly: "So this young lady wants to get close to me..."
After a while of laughing, one of them said, "Come to think of it, although His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi are from the same mother, they don't look much alike..."
"Even twins may not look alike, let alone twins from the same mother."
"I heard that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi and the late Crown Prince have similar facial features..."
"My father had the honor of seeing the late crown prince's graceful demeanor at the New Year's Day court assembly. He had the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and was worthy of the title of 'fallen immortal.'" The woman's voice was filled with regret.
The chattering little girls fell silent for a moment, as if they were all lamenting the untimely death of this famous and handsome crown prince.
The girls sitting next to each other couldn't stop talking about the former crown prince - compared to the plain and unknown second prince, the former crown prince was much more dazzling.
When talking about the late crown prince, one cannot help but mention his marriage to Xiao Ling, the daughter of the previous governor of the three towns of Heshuo.
Someone said: "I have never heard that the former crown prince was weak and sickly, how come he suddenly... Alas..."
"That female killer god was born with bad luck, bringing misfortune to her relatives, killing her parents, and harming the late Crown Prince..."
"Isn't it said that the destiny of the lonely star is tough?" Someone questioned, "The female killer died on her own, could it be that she asked herself to kill herself?"
The man who had spoken so confidently before was probably speechless for a moment, and after a while he said, "Do you think that if a woman wants to make a name for herself in the military camp, she must be ten or a hundred times more ruthless than a man? Maybe it's retribution for killing too many people, how many evil stars can have a good ending..."
Chun Tiao was listening attentively with his ears perked up when someone said, "Don't mention these things that ruin the mood. The old prince has passed away. Isn't there another one here?"
All the girls laughed, like a dozen bells swinging at the same time.
"This young lady is so shameless," one person said, "Hurry up and ask your parents to invite a matchmaker to go to the Prince Qi's mansion to propose marriage!"
"Goodbye, I don't deserve it," the girl just said, "Everyone in the capital knows that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is devoted to his beloved. If he is obsessed with another woman, what's the point of having another woman..."
"I wouldn't be happy about it either. It's fine if it's anything else, but who can stand being compared to 'the most beautiful woman in Chang'an' all the time..."
"I don't mind," another person said with a smile, "I am the one who enjoys the benefits..."
"Oh my, you are so ashamed to say such things!"
…
Chun Tiao was shocked. She knew that the Crown Princess who was getting married today was the recognized most beautiful woman in Chang'an.
So judging from what they said, it turns out that the person His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi loves is his sister-in-law
She glanced at Sui Sui's face and saw her staring blankly outside the railing.
Chun Tiao followed her gaze and saw the golden sun setting in the west. The sunset glow dyed the sky rosy red, like the cheeks of a bride.
"My lady..." Chun Tiao carefully pulled her sleeve, "Are you okay?"
In fact, when Lu Suisui went out today, he looked a little listless, as if he was absent-minded.
Could it be that he heard some rumors
But even if His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi doesn't have a lover in mind, Lu Suisui is not worthy of him. The best outcome of using her beauty to serve a man is to have a child before she gets old and loses her beauty, and earn a legitimate status.
Chun Tiao thought of her infatuation and sighed secretly. He wanted to persuade her but didn't know what to say.
Sui Sui retracted his gaze and smiled at her: "It's okay, I just thought of a... friend."
"My lady, I'm sure you miss that friend very much. Is he from the same hometown as me? Maybe we can meet again someday tomorrow." Chun Tiao couldn't bear to expose her, so he went along with her words to comfort her.
Sui Sui was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your good words."
Half of her face was turned golden red by the setting sun, and the other half was hidden in pale blue shadows.
That smile looked a bit like crying.
Chun Tiao felt a pang of pain in his heart, as if someone had pinched him.
Before she could figure out what was going on, Sui Sui stood up and said, "I'll go downstairs for a walk."
Chun Tiao said reluctantly: "Madam, are you going down now? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince just went in..."
The main event is the bride's wedding. Although the Crown Princess avoids her with a fan, it is worth her life to see her ceremonial clothes, jewelry, servants, and red makeup.
Sui Sui said, "It's a bit stuffy upstairs, so I'll just walk around in this temple to get some fresh air. You don't have to accompany me."
"But… "
"I want to take a walk alone." Sui Sui said, with a strange and unquestionable tone.
Chun Tiao was intimidated by her and nodded: "My lady, be careful."
He went downstairs and walked aimlessly in the temple.
All the common people in the city went to the streets to watch the excitement, and the Huichang Temple, which was usually crowded with cars and horses, became much quieter.
She walked along the corridor and through the atrium.
A wild goose cry was heard in the air. Following the direction of the sound, I saw a lone wild goose flying by, gradually going away and disappearing into the smoky purple twilight.
Unconsciously, she walked into the depths of the green pines and cypresses, and when she came to her senses, she was already in front of a secluded little Buddhist temple.
No one knew which deity was enshrined in the hall. A monk in shabby clothes and leaning on a staff walked out from the shadow of the hall and suddenly stopped beside Sui Sui.
Sui Sui then noticed that this was a foreign monk, his robes were tattered and dirty, and he was blind in one eye.
He turned his head and looked at her with his intact green eyes, then put his hands together and bowed: "Please go in and burn some incense."
Sui Sui glanced inside and saw that the Buddhist temple was hidden deep in the trees. The setting sun could not shine in. Only an oil lamp emitted a faint light, and the face of the god or Buddha sitting on the lotus platform could not be seen clearly.
She gave the monk a faint smile and said, "I don't believe in Buddhism."
The foreign monk was not upset: "Donors may not worship other gods and Buddhas, but they must worship this one."
Sui Sui asked: "Why?"
The foreign monk said, "The deity enshrined here is the Compassionate Vajra. I see that the donor has committed serious sins of killing, so he should pay homage to him."
Sui Sui was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect that Master could tell fortunes through the veil. Many wild rabbits and foxes have died from my arrows."
The green eyes of the monk flashed with a strange light: "Not only can I read faces, I can also read marriages. In my opinion, your marriage is coming."
Sui Sui couldn't help laughing: "I'm afraid Master has made a mistake this time."
The monk smiled and said, "Let's wait and see."
After saying this, he saluted eleven times and walked past her leisurely.
Suisui stood there for a while, turned around and walked back along the same path.
As dusk fell, the last ray of sunset glow faded away, and the lights of the marquis' mansion illuminated the sky.
The sound of drums and music came from the distance again, and it was time for the bride to go out.
Sui Sui walked back to the sound of auspicious music. The leaves rustled in the evening breeze. She thought of the words of the foreign monk and a smile appeared on her lips again.
Marriage belongs to others, and those who carry karmic debts can only get the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror by deception.