Ji Cheng not only came to deliver the invitation, but also invited Mu Wanqing to be a sponsor.
The sponsor is usually a sister or good friend of the bride. Although Ji Xiaoman is her biological sister, the two of them have never gotten along, so she didn't plan to invite her.
Mu Wanqing readily agreed, which also showed her respect for her.
On the wedding day, Mu Wanqing got up early and put on her makeup. She couldn't dress too simply to seem unimportant.
It also cannot be too grand, stealing the limelight from the host.
She pondered for a moment and picked out a purple chest-length skirt. She had a fresh look on her face, and her hair was braided into three braids with purple beads on both sides. A butterfly hairpin was faintly visible in her hair, making her look playful and lively.
Li Qiu was in charge of combing her hair and dressing up. She finished styling it according to Mu Wanqing's instructions and looked left and right, "Isn't it too plain? Today's occasion is very grand, and all the guests are the noble ladies in the city."
A noble lady must have her hair full of pearls and her body covered with precious stones.
Mu Wanqing put on the pearl earrings and looked at herself in the mirror. "It's OK."
This outfit paired with a bright face is enough.
Sure enough, when she appeared at the Ji family, she immediately attracted countless eyes.
The beautiful and lively girl is as bright as the moon, which makes people's eyes bright. Who is she?
Madam Ji was dressed elegantly and looked very good. She came out to greet him personally. "Village Master, thank you for your honor."
Her rival was sent to a temple, supposedly for asceticism, but in fact it was a disguised punishment.
If nothing unexpected happened, He would never be able to get out of this life. For the ambitious He, this would be more painful than killing her.
Without He's attention, life was enjoyable and Mrs. Ji felt relaxed.
"It's my duty." Mu Wanqing walked towards Madam Ji with a smile and greeted her.
Madam Ji was a third-rank imperial official, but she did not dare to be arrogant. She pulled Mu Wanqing to sit beside her and said, "It is an honor for our humble home to have you here, the village master."
None of the noble ladies in Ganzhou City had ever seen Mu Wanqing. Mu Wanqing never attended various banquets and did not accept visiting invitations.
When they saw her now, everyone was shocked. They thought she didn't appear in social occasions because she was ugly or stage-fear.
Who would have thought that she was so beautiful and refined, with an elegant temperament, and her every move was calm and composed, with unparalleled demeanor.
"Meet the village chief."
Mu Wanqing accepted the greeting calmly, showing the majesty of a superior. "Everyone, please stand up. I am Mu Wanqing. Thank you for your care. This is our first meeting."
As soon as they met, the ladies' thoughts were shattered.
This is not about being stage-frightened and not daring to show up, it's clearly that people are too lazy to pay attention to them.
They did not dare to be rude in such an occasion and greeted everyone respectfully. Mu Wanqing exchanged a few words with everyone and was then led into Ji Cheng's boudoir. As a sponsor, she had to help Ji Cheng complete the ceremony.
The ladies couldn't help but gossip a little more, "The purple pearl flowers in the village master's hair are so beautiful, I wonder where you bought them."
Mu Wanqing wore small and exquisite jewelry, but it did not look shabby. Instead, it made her look smart, beautiful and extraordinary.
"Buy? Purple pearls are extremely rare. This is the first time I've seen one. It's not something you can buy with money, old lady. Am I right?"
Old Madam Ji had seen a lot of things in the world. "Yes, this should be a palace-made pearl flower, a reward from the palace."
Everyone suddenly realized, no wonder it was so exquisite, the craftsmanship and materials were the best, one piece was worth all the jewelry on their body.
It is truly priceless and cannot be obtained through envy.
As the eldest daughter of the Ji family, Ji Cheng lives in a spacious and exquisite courtyard with lush flowers and trees.
The yard was crowded with noble ladies from various families and it was extremely lively.
Ji Cheng happily introduced Mu Wanqing to everyone, and the ladies bowed to him one after another.
"snort."
Mu Wanqing followed her gaze and raised her eyebrows. "Second Miss Ji, are you feeling unwell? If you are sick, go see a doctor. It's so pitiful to groan all day long."
Ji Xiaoman hated her so much. If it weren't for her, her mother wouldn't have been sent to the temple.
Her uncle's family would not end up with their property confiscated and exiled.
"I heard that you hang out with those stinky men all day long, without any hesitation? I can't believe this is true. The daughter of a good family would not be like this..."
Mu Wanqing asked calmly, "Is your mother doing well in the temple?"
After a careful investigation, there was conclusive evidence that the crimes committed by the Lu and He families were real.
The Lu family was confiscated, the head of the Lu family was hanged, and the other members of the Lu family were sent to the mines to do hard labor.
The He family's property was confiscated, and they were exiled three thousand miles away to serve in the army in the far southwest.
The He family was completely finished as they were unfamiliar with the southwest and had no roots in the military.
This move was as fierce as a tiger. Du Shaoxuan did not give the Lu and He families any chance to turn the tables. It also made other powerful people silent and cautious, and they behaved cautiously.
Even the dandies became more obedient, and Ganzhou City became more peaceful than ever before. The poor people were all given one or two taels of silver, and they were as happy as if it was New Year's Day, praising the young general for his decisiveness and impartiality.
He also praised Mu Wanqing for her compassion and consideration for the people, and said that both of them had very high reputations.
Some are happy while others are sad, Ji Xiaoman and her siblings are worried.
Without the support of the maternal family and the protection of the mother, there will be obstacles in future marriage.
Even if you are the child of a commander, it is still uncomfortable to have such a mother and family.
Of course, if you are willing to look further, there is no problem.
Unfortunately, these children have been raised to be arrogant and have not yet accepted reality.
"You..." Ji Xiaoman was so angry that she vomited blood. She gritted her teeth and said, "Our Ji family has strict family education. Girls in the boudoir will never go out casually, let alone with men..."
Everyone's expression changed. Ji Cheng frowned and scolded softly, "Xiao Man, don't talk nonsense."
Mu Wanqing was extremely calm and asked slowly, "Is your mother doing well in the temple?"
This was a topic that Ji Xiaoman and her brother could not touch. However, Mu Wanqing brought it up in public. She was furious and said, "You are almost 15 years old, right? Have you ever been proposed to? Ah, I think you definitely haven't. After all, normal families wouldn't dare to marry you. What are you going to do in the future? You're alone and helpless all your life. I'm worried about you."
Mu Wanqing still asked with a smile, "Is your mother doing well in the temple?"
Ji Xiaoman was so angry that she cried. What kind of person is this?
Mu Wanqing laughed out loud. With such a mental state, he still wanted to cause trouble in front of her?
"I love to see others cry. Cry, cry until your nose starts to run."
Ji Xiaoman subconsciously covered her nose, "You are the most annoying person I have ever met."
"I can be even more annoying." Mu Wanqing played with her hair and smiled wickedly, "Why don't I talk to Commander Ji and send you to accompany your mother."
Ji Xiaoman was stunned. What kind of devil was this? "No, no, don't mess around." She didn't want to go to the temple to practice meditation!
Mu Wanqing raised her eyebrows slightly, "Are you ordering me?"
Ji Xiaoman was afraid and aggrieved. "You bully me. You bully the weak. You are a high-ranking village chief. How can you bully a poor motherless child?"
"Is your mother dead? Or do you plan to send her to death?" Mu Wanqing put away her smile and looked at her expressionlessly, "I can help you."
Ji Xiaoman shuddered, a chill rose in her heart, and she was finally scared. "I was wrong, I apologize, please let me go."
Are you scared now? Mu Wanqing was just trying to scare her, "Since today is a good day, I won't bother with you. However, if there is a next time..."
She didn't say anything else, but Ji Xiaoman's imagination was so strong that she scared herself, "I won't dare to do it again."
"It's okay if you dare. I have thousands of ways waiting for you." Mu Wanqing patted her back lightly with a sweet smile, "Be good, children who don't behave will be killed."
How to get rid of it? Ji Xiaoman got goosebumps all over her body and nodded frantically.
Everyone looked at Mu Wanqing differently. Don’t mess with her, don’t mess with her, don’t mess with her. I say this three times because it’s important.
Ji Cheng lowered his eyes, his eyes full of smiles. Mu Wanqing's bad taste came out again. She liked to play tricks on people.
The auspicious time arrived, music started, and all the guests took their seats. Commander Ji stood up, bowed to the guests, and gave a speech, thanking them for taking the time out of their busy schedules to attend his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony.
After that, let’s welcome the protagonist of the day, Ji Cheng.
Mu Wanqing helped Ji Cheng out. Ji Cheng bowed to all the guests and knelt on the ground. An old lady in elegant clothes came up to her, combed her hair and put on a hairpin for her, chanting: "On this auspicious day of the month, I am wearing my first yearning clothes. I will abandon your childish ambitions and follow your virtues. I wish you a long life and great happiness." Note (1)
This old lady has four generations living together in her family. She is a blessed old person with a noble character and was invited as the guest of honor.
This is a plus, and the guests bowed to Ji Cheng and congratulated him.
Ji Cheng went back to her room, changed into a plain dress, came out, knelt before her parents, and solemnly thanked them for raising her. This was one bow.
Mrs. Ji couldn't help but tear up as she looked at her daughter who had grown into a big girl.
Commander Ji was filled with emotion and said a few words to Ji Cheng, who listened obediently, "Although I am not very smart, I will obey you!" Note (2)
Zhengbin came over, gently pulled out the hairpin on Ji Cheng's head, combed her hair into a bun, and inserted a white jade hairpin into her black hair. This was the second addition.
Ji Cheng went back to his room, changed into a long gown with curved hems, and came out to bow to the guest of honor and the other guests to express his gratitude, which was the second bow.
Zhengbin bowed his head slightly, put on a glittering jade crown for her, and said a blessing in a loud voice. "In the right year, in the order of the month, all are clothed. Brothers are here to complete their virtue. Huangdi has no boundaries, and receives the blessing of heaven." Note (3)
Ji Cheng went back to his room and changed into a grand and beautiful evening gown, then came out and bowed again.
After three plus three bows, the ceremony is over!
The ceremonial process was complicated, but also seemed extremely grand. Everyone felt the importance the Ji family placed on their eldest daughter.
Next, you can think about marriage.
Mu Wanqing attended a coming-of-age ceremony for the first time. She watched it with great interest and found it very interesting.
But she didn't want such a coming-of-age ceremony; it was too much hassle.
At this moment, a servant came in to report, "Sir, the envoy from Northern Chu came to congratulate the eldest lady on her coming of age."
Commander Ji frowned. What was going on? How could a mere commander's daughter's coming of age not alarm the people of Northern Chu? When did they come? He actually knew nothing about it.
But it was hard to refuse, "Let them in."
A group of people walked in. The man in the lead had tiger eyes and dragon pupils, and was very majestic. "Northern Chu Sima Yi congratulates the Ji family on their daughter's growth, and has come to propose marriage."
Commander Ji's face changed when he heard this. Sima Yi? He is the prince of Northern Chu. "What did you say?"
"I, the King of Yan in Northern Chu, seek to marry Miss Ji."
Everyone's face changed drastically.
At this moment, a servant ran in in a panic, "Sir, the Xiwu envoy came to congratulate the eldest lady on her coming of age."
Commander Ji had a bad feeling and resisted the urge to chase the man away. "Please."
As soon as the envoy came in and bowed, he glanced at the Northern Chu people obscurely, and then couldn't wait to get to the point, "I'm asking for Miss Ji's hand in marriage on behalf of the King of the Southern Court."
A sudden gasp was heard and Ji Cheng's face turned pale.
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Notes (1), (2) and (3) are all from Baidu Encyclopedia. The Jiji Ceremony was based on Baidu, with some minor adjustments.
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