The rites were complete

In the princess's bedroom, curtains hung low, and the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

The bedroom door was open, and the palace maids in Shaoyin Palace were busy running around. In front of the dressing mirror, Lin'an sat upright, gazing at herself in the bronze mirror.

The woman in the mirror had round cheeks, just like a smoothly shaped goose egg. After applying powder and drawing her eyebrows, her appearance became even more delicate and expressive.

In addition, the palace maids skillfully painted plum blossom makeup on her forehead, giving the already charming and affectionate princess an even more elegant and refined air, as well as a captivating yet not vulgar charm.

A woman will have the opportunity to see herself in her phoenix coronet and embroidered robe once in her life.

She waited for it.

Even more fortunately, the groom turned out to be her perfect match, and the lovers were finally united in marriage.

"Your Highness has become much quieter lately. Is it hard for you to endure?" The head maid asked with a smile as she combed her hair.

His Highness is usually talkative, lively, and spoiled, but as the wedding date approaches, he tries to become more quiet and gentle, like a princess.

"The Empress Dowager said that once a woman is married, she can no longer act as she pleases."

Lin'an sighed, "I'll keep pretending for now, and I'll slowly reveal my true colors in the future."

As they were talking, the dignified and elegant Empress Dowager entered with her maids, glanced at the phoenix crown on the table, and said indifferently:

How are the preparations going?

After bowing, the head palace maid beside Lin'an said respectfully:

"Once this servant has finished combing Your Highness's hair, the job will be done."

The Empress Dowager walked to the dressing table, glanced at the alluring Lin'an, and suddenly frowned:

Why not open a noodle shop?

The so-called "face opening" involves using five-colored cotton thread to remove facial hair from the bride's face, making her appear even fairer and more beautiful.

The head palace maid looked at Lin'an with a troubled expression.

The latter's meticulously drawn eyebrows furrowed. "Mother, it hurts so much."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, glanced at the palace maids in the room, and said in a calm tone:

"If His Highness refuses to grant you permission, each of you will receive twenty strokes of the cane. Those who delay the auspicious time will all be sent to the laundry department."

The palace maids turned pale.

So they washed off the princess's makeup. Several palace maids worked together, and after a lot of effort, they finally got it done.

The Empress Dowager scrutinized Lin'an, whose face was slightly flushed and whose eyes were filled with tears, and nodded in satisfaction:

"Indeed, this is what skin as smooth as cream, delicate and flawless."

As the auspicious hour approached, palace maids placed the phoenix crown on Lin'an's head. The Empress Dowager squinted, scrutinized her for a moment, and sighed:

"It's beautiful!

"You were born to be a princess; only by wearing gold and silver can your preciousness and beauty be highlighted."

The Empress Dowager had seen many beauties, and she herself was a beauty that could topple kingdoms. But as the saying goes, there are countless beauties, each with their own unique charm. Different beauties need different attire to bring out their beauty and temperament to the fullest.

Among the beauties the Empress Dowager saw, including herself, their brilliance was more or less overshadowed by the exquisite jewelry and clothing.

The more elaborate the attire, the more beautiful the woman's appearance is highlighted—only in Lin'an could such beauty be truly appreciated.

The Empress Dowager continued:

"Since your elder brother and mother cannot attend the wedding, it is my duty to teach you how to live in your husband's family and how to get along with your aunt and uncle."

Lin'an sat there solemnly, listening patiently.

"Although you are of noble birth and princess status, Xu Yinluo is no ordinary husband. Therefore, after marrying into the Xu Residence, you must first learn to restrain your temper."

For many years, the Empress Dowager had been indifferent to all matters, including the harem and the princes and princesses, but she knew that Lin'an often caused trouble for Huaiqing.

If she had half the cunning and skill of Consort Chen, it wouldn't matter; the Empress Dowager wouldn't bother with such things. But she's a girl who likes to stir up trouble, yet lacks the corresponding fighting ability.

If you don't behave yourself when you go to the Xu Residence, you don't know how badly you'll be bullied, and you won't even be in the right.

The Empress Dowager continued:

" Among the Xu Household, there's no need to worry about the second wife. Although I haven't had much interaction with her, I've tested her a few times, and she's a straightforward person without any ulterior motives. As for the woman from Yunzhou, although she is Xu Qi'an's biological mother, the bond between mother and son is certainly not deep."

"If she knows her place, she won't take advantage of you, but will treat you politely. You should treat her the same way. The second wife's eldest maid is quite clever, but she's not really related to you; she'll get married in a few years."

"What you really need to care about is your husband's feelings and the women he's been involved with outside."

Ningyan's aunt is a straightforward person? But Simu said that this aunt is clearly an extremely powerful and terrifying person. Was the Empress Dowager mistaken, or was she deliberately saying this to reassure me? Lin'an wondered to himself, and when he heard "women she provoked outside", he immediately raised his eyebrows.

"Don't worry, Mother. Lin'an knows how to deal with them and will definitely make them obedient."

The Empress Dowager glanced at her, swallowed the "ah" that had risen in her throat, and nodded:

"Your mother's advice is to listen to Wang Simu's opinions. She and Erlang are already engaged, and she'll probably marry into the Xu Household this year or next."

That makes sense. Lin'an nodded.

"Don't just lose your temper when things go wrong. You and Xu Yinluo have a bond; you helped him a lot when he was starting out. If you feel wronged, bring it up more often, and he'll feel guilty."

On the main road leading directly to the imperial city, Xu Qi'an sat on the back of a mare, being carried by her as the horse's hooves clattered as it headed towards the imperial city.

Behind her were familiar colleagues such as Li Yuchun, Zhu Guangxiao, and Song Tingfeng, as well as confidants like Miao Youfang, forming a sizable wedding procession.

The city's garrison troops lined up on both sides of the street, keeping the onlookers at bay.

The people shouted "Xu Yinluo's great joy!" and "May they have a long and happy marriage!" and were extremely excited.

In their view, Xu Yinluo's marriage to the royal princess was a powerful alliance that would secure the stability of the Great Feng dynasty.

Moreover, besides a princess of noble birth, who else could be worthy of Xu Yinluo?

However, some people are deeply disappointed by this.

"Xu Yinluo is going to marry the princess. Alas, it seems my daughter won't be able to become the principal wife."

"With your daughter's looks, even Xu Yinluo would look down on her as a maid. Keep dreaming. My younger sister is sixteen, beautiful as a flower, and still unmarried. Alas, it's a pity Xu Yinluo can't see this pearl buried in the sand."

"That's easy. Just send your younger sister to the Imperial Academy of Music. Since she's so beautiful, it shouldn't be hard to snatch the top courtesan. Xu Yinluo saw it, didn't he? Everyone knows Xu Yinluo loves to mingle with top courtesans."

The crowd around them burst into laughter.

Then the two started fighting, but were quickly subdued by the city defense troops, and order was restored.

Zhu Guangxiao gazed at the tall, upright figure in civilian clothes ahead and whispered to Song Tingfeng beside him:

I used to think that Ningyan marry Prince Huaiqing.

When Xu Qi'an was still a lowly official, he would always use the excuse of seeing Princess Huaiqing when he went to the palace. Although he had a lot of private affairs with Lin'an, Zhu Guangxiao thought that Xu Ningyan was clearly closer to Princess Huaiqing.

In the past, when investigating cases, I would frequently travel to Huaiqing Prefecture.

Unexpectedly, he chose the younger sister instead of the older sister.

Song Tingfeng winked and chuckled:

"Not marrying His Majesty does not mean that we are innocent."

Zhu Guangxiao was startled and whispered:

"Do not speak ill of the Emperor."

"What's there to be afraid of? Ningyan didn't care." Song Tingfeng gestured with his lips toward the groom in front of him.

What they said would definitely not escape Xu Ningyan's notice. Since he didn't care, there was no need to worry about His Majesty punishing them.

However, Song Tingfeng couldn't say what came next openly, so he transmitted his voice:

"I've heard that recently some people in the court have proposed establishing a crown prince. This is a matter of national importance, and those scholars care about it the most."

Zhu Guangxiao said calmly:

"With Your Majesty's abilities, you could easily suppress these voices."

"Fool!" Song Tingfeng shook his head.

"The officials of the court have ulterior motives. Think about it, His Majesty has only recently ascended the throne, so it's perfectly normal for him to have no heir. But now that the rebellion has been quelled and peace has been restored throughout the land, shouldn't we start considering His Majesty's marriage?"

"Establishing a crown prince is just a pretext; what you gentlemen really want to do is urge His Majesty to get married as soon as possible and have an heir."

Zhu Guangxiao suddenly realized, and immediately transmitted his voice:

Why are you saying these things for no reason?

Song Tingfeng transmitted his voice and said:

"Ningyan marries Prince Lin'an, countless people laugh their heads off and applaud. As long as he doesn't get married, no one will dare to covet his position as the 'Mistress of the Harem.' Do you understand now?"

"However, His Majesty will have to consider having an heir sooner or later; things will get interesting from here on out."

Although Her Majesty is a woman, she is of pure royal blood. Her children, as long as they have a powerful enough backer, will have no difficulty inheriting the throne.

After entering the imperial city, the process began meticulously. First, the prince followed the master of ceremonies on horseback to the south gate, where he changed into the prince consort's official robes. Then, he presented wild geese, coins, silk, and other gifts as betrothal presents.

This is called the "Wild Goose Ritual," where wild geese symbolize fidelity and a lifelong commitment to one person.

After the wild goose ceremony concluded, Xu Qi'an and the wedding procession took their seats, drank, rested, and awaited the auspicious hour.

They had waited from dawn until the sun was high in the sky when the master of ceremonies finally took his seat and said in a low voice:

"Your Highness, the time has come."

Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "Finally, I can welcome the bride. Oh, my bladder is bursting!"

He immediately followed the master of ceremonies to Shaoyin Palace, where he saw the princess's entourage and the beautiful and charming Lin'an in her phoenix coronet and wedding robes.

She was dressed in a wedding gown and wore a phoenix crown, looking dazzlingly beautiful.

Supported by palace maids, she gracefully stepped out of Shaoyin Palace. The two stood far apart, their eyes meeting.

A thousand words are conveyed in the eyes.

Without saying a word, Lin Anrou glanced at him, then lowered her head and entered the Yan Zhai carriage.

The Yan Zhai carriage is predominantly red, and in addition to the Zhai Yu decorations, the carriage is also decorated with various red and purple silks interwoven to form a magnificent embellishment.

The side hall is equipped with an incense cabinet, and contains incense burners and incense treasures decorated with dragon patterns.

The overall style is gorgeous and vibrant, exceptionally beautiful.

"It went pretty smoothly. There were no messy things like asking for red envelopes, looking for shoes, or breaking down doors," Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Of course, this is mainly because the wedding procession is not the main event, and there are no customs from the previous generation.

After leaving the palace, Xu Qi'an led his ceremonial guard to meet the wedding procession, and together they left the imperial city and returned via the same route.

The original purpose of their trip was to visit the Prince Consort's residence, but after discussing it with his second uncle, Xu Qi'an decided to stay at the Xu Residence instead. They bought several houses in the surrounding area and expanded them into a grand mansion with imposing courtyards.

The family still lives together.

The journey back to the Xu Residence took another half hour. Along the way, drums and music played, palace maids wearing flower crowns carried incense burners with graceful steps, and imperial guards swept ahead, so the journey was slow.

Amidst the joyous and grand drum music, Xu Qi'an led Lin'an through the door and headed straight for the inner hall.

The hall was filled with people watching the ceremony; all were members of the Xu clan, and there were no foreign guests.

My second uncle and aunt sat upright in the hall. When my aunt saw Lin'an dressed in a phoenix coronet and wedding gown, her eyes lit up.

She adored girls who dressed up beautifully, and Lin'an's attire amazed her aunt.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society are not here, and the goods from the Bureau of Astronomy have not yet arrived. That's good. Xu Qi'an glanced at everyone in the hall. Except for the Flower Goddess, whose face was ashen, everyone else had a smile on their face.

Xu Lingyue, in particular, beamed with joy, genuinely happy for her elder brother!

The newlyweds, under the supervision of officials from the Ministry of Rites, conducted a wedding ceremony.

The wedding ceremony was quite complicated – three kneelings, nine kowtows, and six prostrations.

During this time, Xu Qi'an noticed that Lin'an's heartbeat had quickened, and transmitted his voice:

"Take it easy!"

Lin'an indeed settled down.

After the ceremony was completed in an orderly manner, two young palace maids led the way carrying dragon and phoenix candles, with Xu Qi'an and Lin'an following behind.

Watching the newlyweds enter the inner hall, the birth mother, Ji Baiqing, gently wiped away the tears on her face.

Xu Yuanshuang looked at her mother, gently took her hand, and was about to say some comforting words.

Just then, she saw Lü'e walking over and whispered:

"Madam, please come with me."

Ji Baiqing frowned, clutching her handkerchief, and followed Lü'e outside.

Passing through the corridor and courtyard, they arrived at the newlyweds' bridal chamber. Lü'e pushed open the door and smiled:

"Please come in, Madam."

Ji Baiqing's heart stirred, and she already had a guess. She stepped over the threshold and entered the bridal chamber, where she saw Lin An and Xu Qi'an standing side by side, having waited for a long time.

"Ningyan, this is..."

Xu Qi'an whispered:

"My aunt and second uncle raised me, and they are like my own parents to me. When I bow to my second uncle and aunt in front of guests, it is out of respect for them. But you are my birth mother, my closest blood relative, and on my wedding day, it is only right that I bow to you."

He and Lin'an exchanged a glance, then knelt down and kowtowed three times.

Ji Baiqing smiled and said:

"Mother is very happy, very happy."

She bent down and helped her eldest son and daughter-in-law up.

Xu Qi'an whispered:

"Mother!"

Ji Baiqing's body suddenly stiffened.

She nodded calmly, and without lingering, left the bridal chamber.

After walking for a while, she leaned against a pillar, head bowed, her shoulders trembling violently.

When Xu Yuanshuang saw her mother return with red eyes and slightly smudged makeup, looking disheveled, she noticed upon closer inspection that the pent-up emotions that had been building up in her eyes and brows for the past twenty years had completely vanished.

In the bridal chamber, Lin'an nestled in Xu Qi'an's arms, holding a piece of butter cake in her hand, nibbling on it little by little. After a while, her face was full of sorrow.

"What if the Imperial Advisor rushes in and kills me with his sword?"

"I pretended to be very confident in front of the Empress Dowager, but I was actually very afraid inside."

"You're already backing down?" Xu Qi'an comforted him.

"The Imperial Advisor just drew his sword to attack you, so I stabbed her with my gun."

Lin'an was immediately relieved and continued:

"Please take off my headdress. I've been wearing it for half a day, and my neck is sore."

Xu Qi'an then helped her remove the phoenix crown, pinched her slender waist, and laughed:

"The wedding dress is too complicated, so let's take it off now to avoid the hassle of untying it later. Hmm, let's also prepare for the bridal chamber now so I can focus on entertaining the guests."

"No, no!"

Lin'an blushed and pushed against his chest with both hands.

Although the two were already married, she was still shy because she was inexperienced in such matters.

After making a fuss for a while, Xu Qi'an glanced at the drain in the corner of the room and pinched the bridge of his nose:

"I've gone out to greet the guests."

There will definitely be countless unexpected problems today, but it's okay, he has already come up with a foolproof plan.

P. S.: I'm so sick of researching today. The specifications, procedures, and entourage for a princess's wedding were all different in different dynasties. And the information was so rudimentary, just a one-sentence summary, with no details about the specific procedures or how they were carried out. My head is spinning.

I think that when a book is in its later stages of writing, at this stage, "completion" is the most important thing. Many things cannot be skipped. They may not be interesting or engaging, but they can enhance the book's quality and make it feel more real.