Qingyang is Emperor Xingwu's most treasured little princess, but recently she's been a bit troubled:
Her three imperial brothers have angered Imperial Father again;
The Left Pri...
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◎ "You are my consort, I allow you to be disrespectful to me."◎
On the wedding of the Crown Princess, Emperor Xingwu and Concubine Li were only concerned about whether their daughter had become sensible. The officials of the Ministry of Rites actually spent the most time and energy.
Years ago, when Emperor Xingwu had chosen the wedding date for the Crown Princess, Xie Xunwen, the Minister of Rites who worked with the help of a cane, summoned his officials to brainstorm on how to organize the Crown Princess's wedding.
The emperor marries his queen, the crown prince marries his consort, the prince marries his concubine, and the princess gets married. The officials of the Ministry of Rites can describe every step of these four types of wedding ceremonies without even turning to any historical texts. However, the Great Qi Dynasty had an unprecedented crown princess. How should the crown princess "marry" her husband into the palace? With no precedent to refer to, they really had no idea!
When ordinary families took a son-in-law as their daughter-in-law, they usually had him change his surname to the wife's family name and arranged for the daughter to live with her maternal grandfather in advance. On the wedding day, the son-in-law would leave from his wife's family and bring the bride back from outside, just as a son would. But ordinary parents looked down on daughters who were married into their families, but Emperor Xingwu would never do that. He certainly wouldn't ask the Crown Princess to move out of the palace and wait for her husband to bring her back. That would be absurd.
The marriage must not be conducted according to the procedure of marrying a son-in-law.
Follow the schedule of the Crown Prince's wedding completely, let the Crown Princess wait in the palace, and have officials from the Ministry of Rites bring Zhang Su from the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion to the palace?
Is Zhang Su riding a horse or sitting in a sedan chair?
If Zhang Su was shorter, the officials from the Ministry of Rites would have dared to think so. However, Zhang Su was eight feet three inches tall, and when he stood, he was taller than the sedan chair. If such a big man was squeezed in, the onlookers would surely laugh their heads off. Not only would Zhang Su and the Zhang family become a laughing stock, but the Crown Princess and the royal family would also lose face... A sedan chair was absolutely not an option!
In the end, Xie Xunwen made the decision. He wanted to imitate the wedding procession of the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess's outfit remained unchanged, and she wore the Crown Prince's tasseled crown. The Crown Princess's husband only had two changes made: instead of a sedan chair, he would ride a horse, and instead of a red veil, he would wear a phoenix crown. He then asked the Imperial Treasure Bureau to make the phoenix crown more suitable for the husband. It didn't need to be so gorgeous and bright, as long as it matched the auspicious meaning of the dragon and the phoenix.
After the discussion, Xie Xunwen went to the imperial study on crutches to ask for an audience with Emperor Xingwu. As the biting north wind blew, he regretted why he had not resigned earlier. If he had resigned earlier, he would not have to worry so much. However, when he thought about the fact that he had organized the enthronement ceremony of the first imperial princess in history and was about to organize the wedding ceremony of the first imperial princess in history, Xie Xunwen felt vaguely complacent.
He was just a Minister of Rites. He neither assisted Emperor Xingwu in founding the country nor made much contribution during Emperor Xingwu's reign. When later generations read the history of the thirty years before and after the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty, they saw Emperor Xingwu and the civil and military founding heroes headed by Yan Xizheng and Deng Chong. Even Nie Ao, the Imperial Censor who was appointed later, was more famous than him. Xie Xunwen would probably only be mentioned a few more times by historians regarding the matter of establishing the Crown Princess.
Thinking about it this way, Xie Xunwen should be grateful to the Crown Princess for giving him the opportunity to leave his name in history!
Emperor Xingwu was very satisfied with Xie Xunwen's proposal.
After Xie Xunwen left, Emperor Xingwu called his daughter over to discuss the matter, mainly to confirm his daughter's opinion on Zhang Su wearing the phoenix crown.
Qingyang had no particular opinion, but he had one quirk: "Auspicious beasts like dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns are all male and female. Why do people, both ancient and modern, refer to emperors and empresses using the characters dragon and phoenix, respectively?"
Everyone says that the emperor is the true dragon emperor, but has no one thought that dragons can also be male or female?
Therefore, after becoming the Crown Princess, Qingyang had no intention of changing her crown and robes to phoenix designs. Previous emperors had used dragons, so she could do the same. The people were accustomed to respecting dragons, so she would become an emperor who incarnated a "female dragon." Zhang Su could wear a phoenix crown, so what? A female dragon and a male phoenix, it was a good match. As for why it wasn't a female dragon but a male dragon, or why the phoenix was inferior to the dragon, Qingyang had no intention of arguing.
Emperor Xingwu: “…”
Emperor Xingwu didn't want to make a fuss about it. As the emperor, he was the male dragon, and as the crown prince, his daughter was the female dragon. In any case, both father and daughter were dragons!
.
The fifth day of April was indeed a good day. The sun was shining brightly but not too hot. Almost all the free people in the suburbs of the capital flocked into the capital, and the line stretched from the gate of the Weiguo Mansion to the Suzaku Gate of the imperial city. The crowds were even more shoulder to shoulder than when Emperor Xingwu, the Crown Princess, and the generals returned in triumph. Fortunately, Emperor Xingwu and the Ministry of Rites had anticipated this and sent out the Imperial Army in advance to impose martial law and clear the way!
There were also wealthy young men and business travelers from all over the country who rushed here a few days or even a month or two in advance just to witness this unprecedented wedding of the Crown Princess.
At the Duke of Wei's mansion, the Duke's wife, Xu, was so excited that she almost didn't sleep all night. She thought she had woken up even earlier, but unexpectedly, just two or three quarters of an hour after the curfew ended, someone from the gatehouse came to tell her that the alley in front of her house had been blocked by people from nearby.
Xu: “…”
The auspicious time is at dusk, and the son will be married in the evening. People are really not afraid of waiting!
After washing up, Xu ran to watch her son "dress up". The entire wedding ceremony was completely handled by the Ministry of Rites. Xu and her husband didn't have to worry about anything. Even her son's wedding clothes and hair dressing were taken care of by the palace.
Xu rushed to her son's yard excitedly, and saw her two daughters-in-law and eldest granddaughter there. The emperor was so gracious that he allowed the eldest and second sons, who were officials in remote areas, and their families to return to Beijing to watch the ceremony.
Because the eunuchs and maids from the palace were present, Xu's mother and the others excitedly and respectfully lined up in two rows and stood on one side of the inner room.
Zhang Su: “…”
He lowered his eyes. Zhang Su didn't care whether his mother, sister-in-law, niece, guests and people outside would laugh at him. He had been looking forward to this day for too long. Thinking that his wish would come true tonight, he would be willing to wear a phoenix crown or even wear a veil and ride in a sedan chair, not to mention that the Ministry of Rites only asked him to do so.
Before leaving the palace, the nanny in charge of dressing up the princess and her husband received instructions from eunuch Jie Yu of Jiuhua Palace, saying that the princess and her husband were born with beautiful faces and did not need to put on makeup to make them look more beautiful.
The nanny had never seen the princess and her husband before, so she couldn't imagine the handsome face that only appeared in books. Only when she saw the real person at the Duke of Weiguo's mansion did she believe what Eunuch Li Yu said. Look at this handsome face that is young, tight and white like jade. It is no different from the legendary immortal who came down to earth. After applying makeup, it is only white, lacking the natural and lustrous look that only beautiful jade can have.
Well, the eyebrows are also beautiful, with straight brow peaks and handsome and elegant. If they were thicker, they would be more sharp, and if they were thinner, they would reduce the heroic spirit.
Well, he is a man after all. If you look closely, you can still see some stubble below his philtrum and on his chin. However, it is not thick. It looks like he shaved it recently, so she doesn't need to shave it again.
As she watched, the nanny couldn't help swallowing.
Zhang Su: “…”
The nanny quickly distanced herself from him and began to sculpt the faces of the princess and her husband. Even though they were already very handsome, she could make them even more handsome!
In fact, the nanny had planned to cast the legs of the princess and the prince consort, but the eunuch who had examined the princess and the prince consort before said that there was nothing indecent about the prince consort. It seemed that his legs were handsome, unlike some men who had hairy legs.
Xu's mother and the others watched intently. It was unheard of for a man to have his face twisted, but her son was so handsome that Xu didn't find the scene funny at all. Instead, she found it pleasing to the eye no matter how she looked at it.
Zhang Su closed his eyes and imagined that the Crown Princess might touch his face tonight, and he felt that the tiny pains were not worth mentioning at all.
After dressing up, the nanny picked up the phoenix crown on the table.
The royal phoenix crown was made of pure gold and inlaid with various gems. In the past, the phoenix crowns worn by the empress, the crown princess, and the princess on their wedding day were extremely complicated, almost heavier than their heads. The phoenix crown of the princess and her husband was not so elegant. A golden crown covered the prince's forehead and ears, but did not extend outward, nor did it have tassels hanging down. Instead, two golden phoenixes soared from the sides of the prince's ears. It was these two soaring golden phoenixes that added a sense of luxury and majesty to the princess and her husband.
Such a phoenix crown, coupled with such a fairy-like appearance, even her mother Xu was stunned. Who would have thought that the princess and her husband were wearing a phoenix crown?
At dusk, when the princess and her husband, dressed in a red robe and a golden phoenix crown, walked calmly out of the Weiguo Mansion with the officials from the Ministry of Rites, the guests and people who were closest to them, who had been making a lot of noise, all stared in amazement and lost their voices.
Deng Kun and Deng Tai, who were among the guests, forgot the words they had prepared to cheer. The burly brothers Fan Huaizhong and Fan Huaian were both envious and impressed. They envied Zhang Su's good looks, and they were impressed that only such a handsome man was worthy of the princess in the palace.
The princess and her husband mounted their horses, put on the phoenix crown, pulled the reins, and rode forward with the wedding procession of the Ministry of Rites. Men, women, old and young were all shocked wherever they passed. When only the backs of the princess and her husband were left, they suddenly came to their senses and began to talk in unison, praising the fact that there could be such a handsome man in the world.
In front of the Suzaku Gate of the imperial city, Qingyang arrived early, wearing a wedding gown with dragon patterns and a nine-feathered crown on her head. On her left stood the Minister of Rites Xie Xunwen, who did not use a cane, and on her right stood her three imperial brothers.
Qin Ren couldn't help but look at his sister again and again. His sister stood so steadily that the nine tassels hanging from her forehead were almost motionless.
Qin Ren admired his sister more and more. He thought back to when he got married, he was so excited that he couldn't stand or sit properly. He couldn't help but smile while waiting. When he saw the princess, he began to try hard to control his anger.
Finally, the wedding procession appeared in the distance.
Qin Ren worked in the Ministry of Rites and had seen the phoenix crown of the princess's husband a long time ago. But when Zhang Su approached gradually while wearing the phoenix crown, Qin Ren couldn't help but take a breath. Was this his good brother who had been his study companion for more than ten years?
Qin Ren looked at his sister again and saw that she was still standing upright as before, but she raised her face slightly, and then the nine tassels finally began to sway gently.
A moment later, Zhang Su dismounted. Qingyang stepped forward, took the end of the red silk handed to her by the ceremonial officer with both hands, and walked towards the Taiji Hall with her husband in hand, looking calm.
The palace road leading to the Taiji Hall was very long, with civil and military officials and ladies from both inside and outside the palace standing on both sides who came to watch the ceremony. Therefore, Qingyang walked calmly with his head held high and his chest puffed out, without looking to the side. Therefore, Zhang Su still looked respectful and did not show any impoliteness or disrespect.
.
As night fell, Qingyang, who had been dining with the Imperial Concubine, his mother, Aunt Wang, Sister Wang, and the other female guests for half of the meal, finally left at the Imperial Concubine's persuasion. Accompanied by Jie Yu, he went from the front hall to the back hall of Jiuhua Palace.
Still on the left corridor, Zhang Su, wearing a red robe and a golden crown that was ten sizes smaller, stepped out of the main hall to greet her.
Qingyang drank a few glasses of fruit wine and was only three or four points drunk, but this little bit of drunkenness made her cheeks slightly hot, and her eyes became blurred and focused when she looked at Zhang Su. After all, this was her Jiuhua Palace, and there was no outsider around her.
The Crown Princess could do whatever she wanted, but Zhang Su, who had just moved into Jiuhua Palace, still had to observe the etiquette of a subject and knelt on one knee to welcome the Crown Princess.
Qingyang smiled and went to help him: "From now on, you are not allowed to be so reserved in Jiuhua Palace."
She had treated Zhang Su as her own since she was a child. Now that they were husband and wife, in their small home, she didn't need Zhang Su to bow to her all the time.
Zhang Su stood up and supported the Crown Princess who was obviously drunk.
This was an initiative he had never dared to take before the wedding.
Qingyang smiled and told Zhang Su to go to the inner room and wait first, while she was going to the west room to take a shower and change clothes.
Two or three quarters of an hour later, Qingyang, who had changed into a bright red nightgown and had his half-dry long hair loose, asked Jie Yu and others to leave and went to the inner room alone.
Zhang Su stood in front of the window. Seeing the Crown Princess in such a reserved manner, he subconsciously lowered his eyes.
He didn't dare to look, so Qingyang looked at him at will. At this time, the wedding gown Zhang Su was wearing was actually a set of light red casual clothes, a round-necked brocade gown and a jade belt around his waist. He was tall, and wearing such a gown made him look particularly handsome and upright.
Qingyang sat down beside the bed and said to the prince consort who was still standing there respectfully, "Come here."
Zhang Su walked over as ordered. He didn't dare to look at the Crown Princess's flushed face, but he saw her hands supported on both sides of her body. The bright red wedding quilt made her hands look as white as jade. Zhang Su quickly looked away, but noticed the Crown Princess's snow-white feet in a pair of wooden clogs.
Zhang Su closed his eyes and knelt in front of the Crown Princess.
The prince consort was over eight feet tall, but even when he knelt on the ground, he was still taller than the crown princess.
Qingyang liked this level gaze, because ever since she met the Prince Consort outside the Suzaku Gate, she had been thinking about this face for over an hour. Now that he had tactfully moved closer to show her, Qingyang looked him over and asked with a smile, "Why are you kneeling? I don't mean to punish you."
She looked at Zhang Su's rolling Adam's apple and heard him say in a husky voice she had never heard before: "I have had disrespectful thoughts towards Your Highness and shall be punished."
The images in the two booklets appeared in Qingyang's mind.
Whatever his mother asked her to learn, someone must have also taught Zhang Su, either his parents or the nanny sent by the imperial concubine.
Qingyang stretched his right foot out of his clogs and saw Zhang Su's eyes, which had just opened, close again immediately. Qingyang chuckled and said, "What do you mean by disrespectful?"
Zhang Su didn't answer, and his Adam's apple rolled again.
Qingyang raised his foot, gently touched his chest, then moved it down, just enough to rest on his jade belt.
Without waiting for the jade belt to fall, the prince consort with his eyes closed suddenly grabbed the princess' ankle.
Qingyang had just taken a shower, and she felt a little hot, but her skin was slightly cool, so she immediately felt the fire in Zhang Su's palm, and a strange throbbing spread along his tightly clasped knuckles to her legs, and then throughout her body.
Qingyang actually felt thirsty.
She tried to shrink back, but Zhang Su actually crawled on his knees in front of her, put down her right leg and put it together with her left leg, but his hand was still holding her ankle.
Qingyang couldn't help herself and reached out to touch his face, which was a little thin but so handsome that she couldn't take her eyes off it.
Zhang Su's whole body was tense, but he didn't move.
Qingyang touched his face, traced from the peak of his brow to his chin, and finally gently pressed his Adam's apple. Seeing that his left hand, which was hanging at his side, was clenched into a fist, Qingyang smiled and said, "You are my consort. I allow you to be disrespectful to me."
Before she finished her words, Zhang Su had already grasped her wrist, then bent down and kissed the palm of her hand. His hot lips gradually moved up along the inside of her arm, which was also slightly cool.
Just when Qingyang was about to lose her balance, Zhang Su put his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly into his arms, then kissed her slender neck that was exposed because she tilted her head back.
【Author’s words】
Midnight 2 update, midnight 2 update, I’ll try my best!
100 little red envelopes, [covering my face with laughter and tears]