chsdbacks Chapter 141 The Grand Wedding! A Joyous Celebration for All!
Chapter 141 The Grand Wedding! A Joyous Celebration for All!
The end of Yin hour and the beginning of Mao hour.
As the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the imperial city was still shrouded in the deepest darkness before daybreak.
But an unusual restlessness has begun to quietly spread through the sleeping streets and alleys.
"Squeak—"
In the southeast corner of the imperial city, the wooden door of an ordinary house was pushed open.
Zhang, the butcher, who was in his early forties, rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked out of the door, carrying the tools he was going to use to open his butcher shop.
He habitually looked up at the sky, intending to estimate the time, but suddenly froze.
At this hour on ordinary days, the streets of the imperial city would be shrouded in a silent, bluish-gray hue, with only the occasional sound of the watchman striking his clapper.
But today-
In the distance, on Zhuque Avenue, the main thoroughfare of the imperial city, a huge red silk palace lantern is hung every ten zhang (approximately 33 meters).
Those palace lanterns were exquisitely crafted, with the lantern frames covered with fine vermilion silk gauze embroidered with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns in gold thread.
It was still dark, and the ever-burning candle inside the lamp had not yet been lit.
But that continuous expanse of red stood out starkly against the pre-dawn darkness, like a crimson dragon crouching in the heart of the imperial city.
What surprised Zhang the butcher even more were the two sides of the street.
Every five steps, there stood a soldier of the Imperial Guard dressed in a brand-new red robe.
They held long halberds, stood tall and straight, and the red silk hanging from their waists fluttered gently in the breeze.
These soldiers had clearly been standing there for a long time, but each of them had a sharp look in their eyes and showed no sign of slackening.
"This, this is..." Zhang the butcher muttered to himself, almost dropping the butcher's knife in his hand.
"Brother Zhang, you saw it too?"
Grandma Wang, who sells tofu next door, came out carrying a basket and said in a low voice.
"I heard that His Majesty is getting married today, to marry... to Consort Hua, who came from Jiangnan."
When Aunt Wang spoke of "Consort Hua," her tone carried a complex meaning.
There was awe, curiosity, and a hint of inexplicable disdain.
After all, who in the capital didn't know that Consort Hua was originally the daughter-in-law of the Zhao family in Jiangnan, and was a married woman?
Your Majesty's forceful taking of a subject's wife, and the grand scale of the ceremony, is truly...
"Absurd!" Butcher Zhang squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, but kept his voice very low, afraid that the imperial guards would hear him.
Although he was a rough man, he had attended a private school for a few years and knew about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame.
The emperor's actions were tantamount to trampling on and crushing the ancestral laws and traditions.
But he could only think these words in his heart; he would never dare to say them aloud.
"Hush! Be careful what you say!"
Aunt Wang turned pale with fright and quickly tugged at Zhang the butcher's sleeve, "How can you say such nonsense? Are you out of your mind?"
Butcher Zhang realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly shut his mouth, but his eyes were still full of resentment.
Just then—
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Three heavy bell tolls came from the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the center of the Imperial City.
That was the signal to begin the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven.
As the bell rang, the red silk palace lanterns on both sides of Zhuque Avenue were lit one by one.
The light from the ever-burning candles shone through the crimson gauze, bathing the entire street in a warm red glow.
The light and shadow danced on the bluestone pavement, as if a layer of warm blood was flowing through it.
"It's started..." Aunt Wang murmured.
.......
At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Today, this ancestral temple, which worships the emperors of the Qin Dynasty, is shrouded in a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
A three-story altar for worshipping Heaven had already been erected in the square in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
The platform is made of white marble, and on both sides of each step stand imperial guards dressed in black armor and holding golden spears.
They were expressionless, their eyes sharp as knives, and they guarded the entire sacrificial altar so tightly that it was impossible to get through.
On the top floor of the altar, there is a huge sandalwood offering table.
On the table were displayed sacrificial animals, grains, fine wine, and jade and silk, with the memorial tablets of the emperors of the Qin Dynasty enshrined in the very center.
In the bronze incense burner in front of the memorial tablet, three sticks of ambergris, each as thick as an arm, were lit, and wisps of smoke rose, forming a straight column of smoke in the morning light.
Qin Mu stood in front of the offering table.
Today he changed into his most solemn black robe with twelve ceremonial symbols.
The imperial robe was made of black brocade, embroidered with the twelve symbols of the emperor: sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragon, pheasant, sacrificial vessel, waterweed, fire, rice grains, axe, and embroidered fu (a type of ceremonial symbol).
Each pattern is so lifelike that it gleams with a dazzling luster in the rising sun.
He wore a twelve-tassel flat crown, made of pure gold, with twelve strings of white jade beads hanging from the front and back, twelve beads in each string, for a total of one hundred and forty-four beads.
The pearl tassels swayed slightly with his movements, obscuring most of his face, revealing only his well-defined jawline and tightly pursed thin lips.
Three steps behind him stood two women who were about to become his concubines.
Xu Fenghua is on the left.
Today she wore a bright red auspicious robe with a phoenix and peony pattern.
The auspicious robes were made of the finest brocade from Jiangnan, the fabric as smooth as a mirror, shimmering with a watery sheen under the sunlight.
The skirt was extremely long, trailing on the ground, and was embroidered with nine phoenixes in different poses in gold thread. The eyes of each phoenix were inlaid with tiny rubies, which shimmered with an eerie light in the morning light.
Wearing a seven-phoenix crown, with seven golden phoenixes spreading their wings as if about to take flight, each phoenix holding a string of pearl tassels in its beak.
Her makeup was extremely exquisite, with eyebrows like distant mountains and lips like painted vermilion, but her amber eyes were as calm as a thousand-year-old cold pool, without the slightest ripple.
The person on the right is Jiang Qingxue.
She was wearing a rose-red auspicious robe with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, a style of dress worn by imperial concubines.
Compared to Xu Fenghua's bright red outfit, the rose red was a grade lower in color, which was a symbol of status and a distinction of position.
The auspicious robes were equally magnificent, with hundreds of birds of various shapes embroidered on the hem, surrounding a phoenix with outstretched wings in the center.
Her hair was styled into an exquisite flying bun, adorned with gold hairpins and pearl flowers, and her earrings were a pair of East Sea pearls that swayed gently with her movements.
Unlike Xu Fenghua's calm demeanor, Jiang Qingxue's face was so pale it was almost transparent.
Her eyes were lowered, her long eyelashes casting deep shadows beneath them, and the slight trembling of her fingers holding the palace fan betrayed her extreme unease.
The two women stood side by side, one in bright red and the other in rose red, like two poppies that suddenly bloomed on the altar of heaven.
It is breathtakingly beautiful, yet it carries a deadly toxicity.
Behind them were civil and military officials, princes, and envoys from various countries.
Li Si stood at the head of the civil officials, dressed in a purple robe and wearing a seven-beam crown, his face solemn as if carved from stone.
But upon closer inspection, one can see that his hands, tucked into his sleeves, are trembling slightly, a sign of his desperate attempt to suppress his emotions.
Wang Ben stood at the head of the military officers, wearing a black armor over a bright red cloak, his tiger-like eyes wide open, exuding a chilling murderous aura.
He was extremely dissatisfied with His Majesty's absurd actions, but as a subject, he could only suppress his anger.
Empress Zhao Qingxue of Liyang stood at the very front of the envoys' procession.
She was still wearing that black robe with twelve embroidered symbols, and a crown with twelve tassels. Her deep purple phoenix eyes, through the pearl and jade tassels, quietly surveyed everything on the altar.
Xu Longxiang stood in the ranks of the northern vassal kings.
Today he changed into a formal robe for the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, with a four-clawed golden python embroidered on the black brocade.
He stood with his hands at his sides, his gaze lowered, as if indifferent to everything before him.
But if someone were to get closer and take a closer look, they would find that his fists were clenched tightly in his sleeves, his nails were digging deep into his palms, and the blood seeping out had stained the lining red.
His jaw was clenched tightly, his teeth were clenched, and the veins on his temples were throbbing faintly.
At the edge of the square below the altar, a dense crowd of people knelt to watch the ceremony.
As required by the government, they wore their best clothes and wore festive smiles, but deep in the eyes of many of them lay complex emotions that were hard to conceal.
There was a sense of awe for the imperial majesty, curiosity about the lively scene, anticipation of possible rewards, and also disdain and incomprehension towards this absurd marriage.
"The auspicious time has arrived!"
Lu Mingyuan, the Minister of Rites, stood below the altar of Heaven and loudly chanted the rites.
His voice, amplified by a specially made copper horn, echoed across the spacious Imperial Ancestral Temple Square, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"His Majesty offers sacrifices to Heaven—to comfort the ancestors—and welcomes Consort Hua and Consort Xue into the palace!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the music for the ceremony began.
The chime bells, chime stones, sheng, xiao, qin, se... dozens of musical instruments played together, creating the magnificent music of "Nine Dragons Paying Homage".
The music was like a surging tide, surging in the morning light, making people's eardrums buzz.
Qin Mu slowly turned around and faced the offering table.
He accepted the three thick sticks of ambergris offered by the master of ceremonies and lit them on the ever-burning candle.
Then he raised his head high and bowed deeply three times to the memorial tablets of emperors from past dynasties.
The swirling smoke obscured his face, which was hidden by the pearl tassels.
"With the ancestors of the Great Qin Dynasty above,"
Qin Mu spoke, his voice carrying a strange metallic quality through the pearl-beaded tassels.
"The unworthy descendant Qin Mu today marries Consort Xu Fenghua as Consort Hua and Consort Jiang Qingxue as Consort Xue. May our ancestors bless us, may the Great Qin Kingdom prosper forever, and may the world be at peace."
He spoke very simply and casually, as if he were just going through a process he had to go through.
But every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Xu Longxiang's heart.
Xu Longxiang kept his head down, not daring to look at the two glaring figures on the sacrificial altar.
He never expected that Qin Mu would marry two concubines at once!
The moment he saw it, his heart broke!
Xu Longxiang could imagine his sister looking like this: dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, wearing a seven-phoenix crown, standing beside that tyrannical emperor, bowing to the ancestors of the Great Qin Dynasty.
He could imagine Qingxue looking like this: pale-faced, her fingers trembling, yet forced to force a smile and complete this absurd ritual.
And he could do nothing.
All we can do is kneel here, listen, and endure.
"The ceremony is complete!"
Lu Mingyuan's voice rang out again.
Qin Mu inserted the incense into the bronze incense burner, turned around, and faced the thousands of subjects below the stage.
The pearl tassels swayed, reflecting a dazzling halo in the morning light.
His gaze swept across the dark mass of people below the stage, across the faces that held either awe, curiosity, or disdain, and a barely perceptible smile curved at the corner of his lips.
Then, he stretched out his hands.
He took Xu Fenghua's hand with his left.
He took Jiang Qingxue's hand with his right hand.
Both women's hands were cold and trembling slightly.
Qin Mu held on tightly, not allowing them to break free.
"Let's depart—back to the palace!"
The long, drawn-out announcement echoed through the air above the Temple of Heaven Square.
The music and ceremonial music became even more stirring, with drums thundering and bells ringing out.
Imperial guards cleared the way, banners fluttering in the breeze.
Qin Mu led the two concubines down the sacrificial altar step by step.
The hem of the black imperial robe overlapped with the bright red and rose-red auspicious robes, creating a magnificent yet eerie scene as they trailed across the white marble steps.
Xu Longxiang finally raised his head.
His gaze was fixed on the three figures—Qin Mu in the middle, holding his sister's hand with his left hand and Qingxue's hand with his right.
The image was like a red-hot iron, searing his retina and burning deep into his soul.
He saw his sister standing with her back straight, expressionless, like an emotionless puppet.
He saw Qingxue with her head down, her steps unsteady, almost being dragged along by Qin Mu.
He saw the faint smile on Qin Mu's lips, and the all-seeing gaze emanating from behind the beaded tassels.
"boom--"
Xu Longxiang felt his mind go blank for a moment, and he even experienced a brief blackout.
A metallic, sweet taste rose in his throat, and he clenched his teeth tightly to prevent the blood from spitting out.
His fingernails dug deeper into his palm, leaving it bloody and raw, but he was completely unaware.
"Your Highness..." Sikong Xuan, who was beside him, noticed his unusual behavior and reminded him in a low voice.
Xu Longxiang suddenly came to his senses.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to look away, and lowered his head again.
But the hatred and murderous intent surging in his eyes were so intense that they almost materialized.
Qin Mu...
He roared silently in his heart:
The humiliation of today will be repaid a hundredfold in the future!
I will definitely kill you!
Definitely!
........
After the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven concluded, the imperial carriage set off to return to the palace.
But the festive atmosphere inside the imperial city was only now reaching its climax.
"His Majesty has decreed—!"
A group of officials from the Ministry of Rites, dressed in red robes, appeared on both sides of Zhuque Avenue, holding bright yellow imperial edicts in their hands, and loudly proclaimed:
"To celebrate His Majesty's wedding, all citizens of the capital, regardless of age or gender, will be rewarded with 100 copper coins, 1 dou of rice, and 3 jin of meat! Shops will be exempt from tax for three months! Prisoners will have their sentences reduced by one degree!"
"Whoosh—!"
After a brief silence, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd!
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The people knelt on the ground, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" with joy radiating from their hearts.
For many poor families, a hundred copper coins was a considerable fortune.
A bushel of rice and three pounds of meat are enough to feed a family for several meals. The three-month tax exemption for shops brings smiles to the faces of merchants.
As for whether the marriage was absurd or not, and what the background of that Consort Hua was... in the face of real benefits, they all seemed to become less important.
Human nature is just that realistic.
Butcher Zhang knelt in the crowd, clutching the copper coins he had just received, his face beaming with smiles.
The insistence on etiquette that I had just adhered to has now vanished.
"Brother Zhang, have you received your money yet?" Aunt Wang came over and asked happily.
"I've received it! I've received it!" Butcher Zhang nodded repeatedly. "One hundred coins! That's enough to buy half a pig!"
"Indeed!" Aunt Wang exclaimed with a smile. "His Majesty is truly wise! Now, my husband's medical expenses are covered!"
The two talked excitedly, as if they had completely forgotten their earlier discussion about the "absurd marriage".
Meanwhile, in another part of the crowd, a group of young men who looked like scholars were gathered together, but their expressions were not good.
"Hmph, do you think a mere hundred copper coins, a peck of rice, and three pounds of meat can win people's hearts?"
A young scholar chuckled coldly, "The collapse of etiquette and the disintegration of moral principles are a great misfortune for the nation!"
"Brother Wang, be careful what you say!" His companion quickly pulled him back. "There are too many people around; don't get yourself into trouble!"
"What are we afraid of?" the scholar surnamed Wang retorted, "Scholars should take the world as their responsibility! His Majesty has done such an absurd thing; if we dare not speak out, what face do we have to call ourselves disciples of the sage?"
"You..." His companion stamped his feet in frustration, but dared not try to persuade him any further.
Their minor argument was quickly drowned out by deafening cheers.
The people received their rewards and dispersed happily.
Shop owners began to plan how to make a fortune during the three-month tax-free period.
Even the families of prisoners whose sentences were reduced knelt on the street and kowtowed repeatedly towards the direction of the palace to express their gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace.
What should have been a disgraceful marriage that would have been remembered for generations was transformed into a cause for universal celebration thanks to the generous gifts of gold and silver.
How ironic.
And how...real it is.
.......