Liu Acheng's wedding was incomparably grand.
Of course, it could not compare with Xie Shi's marriage to Zhuge Wenxiong back then.
Its grandeur was relative to the backgrounds of Liu Cheng and his wife, Shen Daoxi-led by many celebrated scholars of Kuaiji, numerous high officials and dignitaries from Jiankang, including many hoping to gather information, had used the occasion as a pretext to assemble.
Even Sima Yu, the Prince of Kuaiji, had entrusted Huan Xin with delivering gifts.
Shen He, the bride's brother escorting her to the wedding, could scarcely remain standing as he read the names and families on those gift lists. Any dissatisfaction he had felt over Liu Cheng's earlier delays in holding the wedding now vanished like smoke.
Liu Rengong and the others, however, genuinely did not understand what these names meant. Or rather, they knew only that these people were so exalted as to be beyond their reach, and that their gifts were too valuable to take to market and sell. They could easily leave it at that.
This was precisely why Liu Cheng had chosen to hold the wedding now. He wanted not only to use it to win Sima Yu's trust, but also to harness this momentum to add bricks and tiles to his wedding, leaving the Shen Clan so thoroughly satisfied that they had nothing left to say.
Even so, Liu Acheng still felt he had underestimated these celebrated men from eminent families.
Take Xie Ju, who came looking sickly and brought extraordinarily valuable gifts. Not only did he repeatedly rise of his own accord to offer congratulations, he even tirelessly staged a classic scene, calling Liu Jili, Liu Huzi, Liu Agan, and Liu Shuang before him in turn and praising them as the orchid shoots and jade trees of the Liu Clan