Chapter 8: Visiting the Strange Jiang Si
Although Xie Yunshuo's marriage to Jiang Si was not granted by the emperor, it had a more profound meaning than a marriage granted by the emperor.
This was the first time the emperor used indirect means to threaten the Xie family. It was his first move to remind the Xie family and warn them.
The Xie family has only been in existence for forty years, their roots are not deep, and they are full of loyal and honest people. Whether it is for the military power in their hands, for the prosperity of the family, or for the morale of the army, they will surely handle this move flawlessly.
Therefore, this matter became Jiang Si's greatest reliance.
She was not of high status and was not the daughter of a noble family, but because of a word from the emperor, she was given a layer of invisible and intangible golden armor.
However, this matter was just a hint and had not been made public. The Xie family would treat her well, and she herself could not let anyone find fault with her.
Jiang Si had already made up her mind: she would walk upright and sit upright, not taking advantage of small things, and certainly not suffering big losses.
When she thought that marrying into the Xie family was simple and straightforward, the Xie family thought the opposite and treated it as a formidable enemy.
The discord between Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo was obvious to all, but she married into the family with a special meaning, and everyone had to protect her like fragile porcelain.
Even though she hasn't gotten married yet, the Xie family is already in a dilemma about how to treat her after bringing her into the house.
This matter is of great importance, and Jiang Si has a straightforward and explosive temper. If something makes her unhappy, she will tell everyone about it, and the Xie family will have no way to defend themselves.
I’m afraid she’ll be picky, difficult to serve, and hard to get along with.
Before she even married in, Xie Yunshuo already felt like he was holding a handful of fragile porcelain in his hands.
For him, this was like having shackles tied around his wrists.
For example, if Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo were both sitting on a scale, the left and right sides of the scale would fluctuate.
Now one end is raised high and the other end falls heavily.
Jiang Si sat on the elevated side, feeling at ease and refreshed.
The person on the other end felt very uncomfortable.
Under such unequal circumstances, the auspicious day of September 7th, no matter how unwelcome it was, slowly arrived.
Although the wedding was to be held at noon and the ceremony was to be held at dusk, Jiang Si also had things to do at home and had to get up early.
She had not slept enough and was pulled out of bed by You Lu and Wu Chan before dawn. She sat in front of a bronze mirror with her eyes closed while the matchmaker washed and dressed her.
The bridesmaid pulled the thin silk thread and removed the fine hair on her face one by one. There was some slight pain, which woke up Jiang Si's sleepiness.
She frowned, thinking that her face was so smooth, but she had to suffer such torture. It was all Xie Yunshuo's fault.
This dissatisfaction was what she thought silently in her heart.
Although customs have nothing to do with who one marries, Jiang Si is going to put the blame on Xie Yunshuo because she didn't sleep well.
The bridesmaid was very careful in dressing her up as a bride, and it was very complicated and took her more than an hour to do.
Jiang Si looked at herself in the bronze mirror with a somewhat confused expression, because the herself in the mirror was very different from usual, which made her feel a little weird.
Today's bride is wearing very thick powder on her makeup, with rich colors on her eyebrows and eyes and bright red lips.
Jiang Si was naturally beautiful, and after being dressed in such bold colors, she stood out particularly among the three or four other women reflected in the bronze mirror.
It's as unreal as a mannequin in a painting.
Although Xiniang had seen many beautiful young women, her heart still couldn't help but beat fast when she saw Jiang Si today.
She praised him politely as usual: "Miss Jiang is beautiful, Mr. Xie will definitely like her."
The bridesmaid praised Jiang Si earnestly, but she saw Jiang Si in the mirror smiling and shaking her head. She didn't know and didn't dare to ask her why.
She felt that there was a hint of disapproval in Jiang Si's smile, and something she couldn't understand.
Jiang Si thought to herself - he wouldn't like it.
What Xie Yunshuo likes should be a woman who is gentle and kind, like a lotus blooming in clear water.
It can't be someone as gorgeous as a big red peony like her.
After dressing up, Jiang Si put on her bride's wedding dress and went with her father and mother to pay respects to the ancestors and say goodbye to the clan members.
Then kowtow three times to your parents.
At the third quarter of noon, the Xie family's wedding procession arrived. After a complicated marriage ceremony, Jiang Si was carried on the bridal sedan by her cousin.
From then on, Jiang Si wore a veil on her head and could only see the area below her feet.
When she got into the bridal sedan, she saw a piece of Xie Yunshuo's wedding gown.
The noisy and bustling atmosphere around her, as well as the cheers of children, made her feel dazed.
In the first fifteen years of her life, she lived a fulfilling life at home because of the love of her father and mother. Now that she has left home and gotten on the sedan chair of the Xie family, what will her life be like from now on?
This turn was so sudden and drastic that it was unpredictable.
But Jiang Si was not worried about it.
She felt that the person wearing the same red wedding dress behind the veil must be more confused than her.
Next, the long wedding procession that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see would circle the city three times. Jiang Si had a wooden box with a red lid filled with copper coins in her hand.
When the wedding procession is on the way, she will scatter the money for the sedan chair along the way for the people to pick up.
These copper coins were prepared by the Xie family, and I don’t know if they are enough.
But no matter whether it was enough or not, she always held a full handful when she spread it out.
This is her sedan chair money, which concerns her luck, so she won't save it.
With this thing to do, Jiang Si no longer felt bored.
She could hear the cheers of children along the way as they picked up the coins after she threw them, and the men, women, and children saying auspicious words like "grow old together" after picking up the coins.
Amidst the blush that enveloped her from all directions, Jiang Si carefully described their faces, smiles, postures, and the joy of holding the money based on each voice.
I sat in the sedan chair like this for at least two hours. Fortunately, because of this incident, I didn't feel bored.
When there was only some distance left to go, all the copper coins in the wooden box were scattered.
Jiang Si picked up all the copper coins on the edge and threw them all out. When she threw out the last handful, she felt a sense of fulfillment.
Xie Yunshuo, who was riding a tall horse in front of the sedan chair, turned his head to take a look.
During this long parade, he rode on horseback and looked at the scenery and streets along the way, and he didn't find it boring.
He saw Jiang Si sitting in the sedan chair, throwing the copper coins with great concentration, and the intervals between them were almost perfect.
Each time he throws out a large portion, it is also sufficient.
She repeated this dozens of times.
Xie Yunshuo couldn't see the person in the sedan chair, so he didn't know what expression or posture she had.
However, these dozens of extremely regular scattering of copper coins made people feel that the person sitting in the sedan chair was extremely serious and diligent in scattering the full basket of copper coins.
He actually felt a little strange.
This seems like something only an honest person would do. Is Jiang Si that kind of person?
He didn't know that she didn't think this was a trouble at all. When she was bored, she would count the copper coins and look at the casting on them. She almost never sat upright.
It was completely different from what Xie Yunshuo had imagined, sitting upright, counting the time carefully and throwing out coins.
After all the copper coins were scattered, Jiang Si thought that fortunately the Xie family had prepared enough copper coins, so there was no shortage, and they could withstand her behavior of scattering money like a child.
The bridal sedan arrived at the gate of the general's mansion. The bridesmaid sang and chanted outside the sedan, and then the curtain was lifted.
Jiang Si was helped by someone to step over the fire basin, stepped on the tiles, and officially entered the Xie family's gate amidst the sounds of joy.
The General's Mansion is a residence bestowed by the emperor, covering an area of one hundred acres on Changping Street.
The mansion where a first-rank military general lives is almost the same size as that of a duke or prince.
Jiang Si held a red silk in her hand and walked along the red carpet that stretched from the gate to the main courtyard, and entered the main hall of the worship hall.
It was the end of the You hour, and the sky above was filled with red clouds and golden streams.
The warm evening light fell on the carved beams and painted buildings of the general's mansion, as well as the hanging red silk flowers, giving them a layer of golden light, hanging quietly under the eaves.
Jiang Si was covered with a red veil, so she couldn't see anything. Occasionally, she could see Xie Yunshuo's left hand holding the silk ribbon.
His hands were stiff and slender, but not white or clean, with mottled scars from old times remaining on them.
Although he was the most prominent young nobleman in the capital, before he even reached adulthood, he had to lead troops stationed outside the Great Wall into battle, wading through swamps, climbing snow-capped mountains, and escaping life-threatening situations.
All the merits of resisting foreign enemies remain in his body.
Although she disliked him as a person, Jiang Si still admired his experience and his courage to defend his country.
"A sword across the sky, the stars are cold, accompanying the pacification of the north and the conquest of the barbarians."
Therefore, as long as the two of them did not quarrel or have disagreements, and Xie Yunshuo did not say anything unpleasant or do anything unpleasant, she could treat him with respect.
She may not be a good wife, but she should be a good mistress.
Thinking of this, Jiang Si, under the guidance of the matchmaker, and Xie Yunshuo, bowed to heaven and earth, their parents, and then bowed to each other as husband and wife.
Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo stood opposite each other and saw a pair of heavy stage shoes under his wedding dress.
Xie Yunshuo was extremely tall, and few people in Beijing could surpass him, so his feet were also very big.
A long part of the toe of the shoe was exposed, and the shoe was embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread, with very fine stitching.
Jiang Si thought that it would be awkward for a general to wear boots, so the boots must be made sturdily.
I don't know which maid made these boots, but she did a great job. Let her make them from now on.
Putting aside her temperament, Jiang Si is a simple and straightforward person. Once she has made up her mind, she will not waver.
Just as she was thinking about being a good mistress, she quickly integrated into the identity of Mrs. Xie Yunshuo.
She accidentally married into a wealthy family, and there were so many eyes watching her. Although the Xie family was restricted and couldn't be harsh on her, she also couldn't let others find fault with her easily.
Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to the Jiang family.
She is the eldest sister and has a bad reputation outside. It will affect her younger brothers and sisters in the future. Jiang Si will not allow herself to make such a mistake.
Not wanting to marry Xie Yunshuo is one thing, but since she has married him, it is another.
Ever since she left the Jiang family, she has done everything properly that was exposed to outsiders.
In this hall, in front of all the guests, although she was wearing a veil, her steps, her manners, and the curve of her bow were all appropriate.
General Xie and his wife, who were sitting in the hall, felt much more at ease after seeing this.
Xie Yunshuo, who was standing opposite her, saw the woman in front of him with her veil on, quiet and generous.
If he hadn't known that Jiang Si was tall, he would have thought it was someone else.
Because he had never seen her like this before.
Whenever I saw Jiang Si in the past, she was always dynamic, laughing, scolding, and rarely pretending.
If other women are a gentle lake, she is a rushing stream.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
