Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the Emperor's long-awaited wedding arrived.
After a heavy snowfall in the capital, the sky cleared up quickly.
The branches of trees along the streets from the Meridian Gate to Jiangfu were tied with red ribbons, which fluttered in the wind, creating a festive atmosphere.
The streets were lined with people from the capital. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the grand occasion of the Emperor marrying the Empress.
The Jiang residence was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Maids and servants were busy working in an orderly manner, and everyone had a smile on their face. The entire Jiang residence was filled with a festive atmosphere.
Su Huai-ren, along with Hu Qing and the Zhang brothers, busied themselves with various tasks.
Madam Su, accompanied by Du Yutong, was responsible for receiving the ladies and young women who came to offer their congratulations and dowry.
Watching her daughter-in-law with a smile on her face, dealing with people with ease and composure.
Madam Su was overjoyed but also felt a pang of guilt. Her daughter-in-law had been running her own household in Jiangzhou since the day she got married, and in such a short time, she seemed like a completely different person.
Mature, steady, and capable, Madam Su liked this daughter-in-law very much.
Seeing her daughter-in-law bustling about without stopping for a moment, Madam Su went up and pulled her aside, saying gently, "Tong'er, you and Ajin only returned to the capital yesterday. You must be tired from the journey. Go and rest in the inner courtyard. Your mother, your aunt, and Madam Zhen can take care of things here."
"Mother, it's alright. Jin and I went to bed early last night, and we're feeling great now." Du Yutong held Madam Su's hand affectionately, her face full of smiles, like a sweet little cotton-padded jacket.
Mrs. Su couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to continue working together.
For the emperor's wedding, all the civil and military officials originally only needed to attend the banquet in the palace.
In order to get closer to Jiang Shuyue, the officials' wives all came to her door to present dowry gifts.
Fortunately, everyone went to the street to watch the ceremony after giving their dowry gifts, otherwise there would have been nowhere to accommodate the guests in the front hall.
It wasn't that the front hall of the Jiang residence wasn't big enough; it was that the main hall and side halls in front were filled with betrothal gifts.
Lin Miaoshou, Su Jin, and Su Nan were at a loss as they looked at the room full of betrothal gifts.
"Ah Jin, look at all the betrothal gifts the Emperor has sent over, completely blocking the front hall and the passageway. Yue'er's dowry is still in the inner courtyard. What are we going to do?"
Su Jin was also troubled, wondering what had gotten into the Emperor. Yesterday, he sent over 180 loads of betrothal gifts, each load very heavy.
Su Jin thought for a moment and said, "When the guards arrive, send the betrothal gifts from the front hall out first, and the dowry will follow."
“What elder brother said makes sense. Since elder sister will be living in the palace from now on, the betrothal gifts will naturally be sent to the Jiaofang Palace along with the dowry. In any case, they will all go into elder sister’s private treasury, so it doesn’t matter whether the dowry goes before or after.”
"Brother, you and Uncle Lin go ahead with your work. I'll take care of carrying Sister to the bridal sedan chair."
As Su Nan spoke, she quickly walked towards the backyard.
In Xingyue Courtyard, Zhan Shuzhen arrived at the Jiang residence early but was of no help whatsoever.
The Empress Dowager specially arranged for palace maids and nannies to do the bride's makeup.
"Sister Jiang, you look so beautiful today!" Zhan Shuzhen couldn't help but exclaim as she watched the palace maid finish her makeup.
All the palace maids were attracted by the bride's beauty, and they couldn't help but steal a glance.
A beautifully crafted embroidered robe perfectly accentuated her figure.
Her beautiful hair was meticulously styled, but the most stunning feature was her phoenix crown, with its exquisite openwork craftsmanship and sparkling gemstones.
The tassels hanging on both sides add a touch of mystery and charm.
Her lips curved slightly upward, revealing the joy and demureness of a bride. The beauty mark between her brows was as red as the blood of a cuckoo's cry, naturally red without being painted.
Her beauty is like a peony, a national treasure, noble and elegant, and like a night-blooming cereus, with a subtle fragrance.
Jiang Shuyue looked at her radiant reflection in the bronze mirror and adjusted her heavy phoenix crown.
Qiuju stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "Miss, do you find it too heavy?"
"Hmm, it's too heavy."
Qiuju glanced at the hourglass on the table. "Miss, please bear with it. The wedding procession will be here soon."
Just then, Su Nan's voice came from outside the door, "Sister, the wedding procession is here."
A maidservant took a red veil embroidered with gold thread from a tray held by a palace maid.
"Your Highness, it's time to get into the sedan chair." The nanny was respectful, and only after Jiang Shuyue nodded did she carefully cover her with the bridal veil.
Su Nan, who had been waiting outside the door, strode in. He was now much taller than Jiang Shuyue.
He squatted down and said, "Sister, let me carry you to the bridal sedan chair."
Jiang Shuyue's eyes welled up with tears. She bent down and placed her hands on Su Nan's shoulders. "If Nan Nan can't carry me anymore, let your older sister get off."
Jiang Shuyue secretly regretted that if she had known that getting married would be tiring for Su Nan, she should have been more firm when Xiao Jingzhao served her food. She felt like she had gained weight in a short period of time.
"Don't worry, sister, your brother can carry you."
Surrounded by the crowd, Su Nan carried Jiang Shuyue out of the inner courtyard.
Inside the main hall of the Jiang residence, guards sent from the palace were carrying the dowry out.
Xiang Song and Xiang Yang, dressed in casual clothes, rode horses and waited on either side of the bridal sedan chair.
A procession, including drummers, led the bridal sedan chair.
The emperor used the same ceremonies to welcome the empress, and the bridal sedan chair was decorated with a large phoenix palanquin.
The phoenix palanquin was surrounded by festive decorations, with long red silk ribbons hanging from the top and large red flowers made of red silk ribbons hanging from the four pillars, making it both solemn and joyous.
The street opposite the Jiang residence was packed with people.
As the bride emerged, firecrackers went off and drums and music filled the air, prompting everyone to step back and crane their necks to watch.
Red gauze fluttered around the phoenix carriage, and the bride was covered with a veil. Everyone could only vaguely see her graceful figure sitting in the bridal sedan chair, dressed in a gorgeous wedding gown.
A shout of "Lift the sedan chair!"
The imperial carriage headed towards the palace gate.
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