Chapter 137 I wish to be of one heart and one mind with you
Qin Shaozong was a military general. Although he had read some books, he was no match for the civil officials who could effortlessly compose poems and essays.
Upon hearing the poem, not only Qin Qinian, but also the military generals who had come with Qin Shaozong to welcome the bride, felt a chill run down their spines.
Just moments ago they were sharp-eyed and full of energy, but now they all turned their heads away, afraid of meeting their superiors' gazes.
Qin Shaozong remained silent.
The surroundings were deathly silent; some people didn't even dare to breathe.
After a long while, Qin Shaozong said, "Then I will compose a short poem called 'Please, Madam'."
Before it even started, he only mentioned the title of the poem, and the group of military officers behind him, who had been silent and trembling just moments before, immediately started clapping and cheering, with a sense of relief that "thankfully I don't have to go up there," all shouting encouragement for Qin Shaozong.
Qin Qinian shouted the loudest.
The young man's lips twitched.
Qin Shaozong coughed lightly, “Her eyebrows are as delicate as jade, her face as beautiful as spring mountains, and her love is as deep as red beans. Do not hide the bright moon behind the clouds, please come with me, my lady.”
It's rather simplistic, lacking grand and sweeping phrases or ornate language, but it's straightforward enough. So straightforward that anyone present, regardless of their education level, could understand it.
The generals were all taken aback, and then burst into cheers that were even louder than before.
"Amazing! Your Excellency is a reincarnation of the God of Literature!"
"With your literary talent, you can bring peace to the country and pacify the world; with your martial prowess, you can conquer the world on horseback. You are a true hero, my lord!" Wei Qing exclaimed in approval.
He had barely finished speaking when someone nudged him in the chest with their elbow: "You old Wei, you're quite the talker, aren't you?"
Wei Qing slapped Mo Yanyun back, saying, "Today is the Marquis's wedding, how could I steal the limelight?"
Today, with no taboos, some people are bolder than usual, deliberately raising their voices and saying, "My lord has already expressed his longing; when will my mistress return?"
Upon hearing this, the others immediately echoed:
"Yes, when will the mistress return?"
"Then it has to be paid back now!"
Amidst the commotion, the room door clicked open. The noise abruptly stopped, and everyone turned to look.
A tall, graceful figure came into view. She wore a long, flowing dress in shades of black and red, and a magnificent hair ornament with a mountain-shaped design. As her phoenix hairpin swayed gently and her golden lotus feet swayed, the woman, who held a round fan to veil her face, slowly emerged from the room.
Bathed in sunlight, the woman's fair fingers holding the fan and the gold and jade ornaments on her head seemed to glow softly, and the golden phoenix on her shoulder seemed to come alive. Even without seeing her face, she possessed an indescribable radiant beauty.
Silence is spreading.
"Why are you blocking the way?" Qin Yanzhou frowned.
The crowd snapped out of their daze and scattered like birds and beasts, making way for them.
A round fan provides a much wider field of vision than a red gauze veil. Although you can't see much in front of you, walking steadily is not a problem.
Surrounded by a crowd, Dai Li walked out of the Qin residence and, amidst the craning necks and excited stares of the surrounding people, sat down in the brand-new, festive carriage.
“Oh, I see the Lady of the Marquis’s profile. She is as beautiful as a fairy in a painting.”
"Coming from a humble background, remarried with a son, and marrying into a noble family as the principal wife—I never dared to dream of such a grand life."
"Take a few more glances and memorize it; I'll dream about it tonight."
...
The *Book of Rites* (Liji), in the chapter "Marriage," states: "When the bride descends from her husband's carriage, the groom, holding the reins, proceeds to circumambulate the wheels three times." ①
This means that after the bride is taken out of the house, the groom must personally drive the carriage for her, making the wheels turn three times, symbolizing the completion of the balance of yin and yang, and that the couple will live in harmony and have a stable marriage.
After Qin Shaozong helped Dai Li into the carriage, he sat in the driver's seat and lightly tapped the horse in front with his whip.
The wheel rolled slowly, stopping after three weeks.
The wedding was also called "dusk ceremony," and it had to be held at dusk. Therefore, after receiving the guests, Qin Shaozong did not rush back to the Marquis's residence, but instead led his entourage to circle around the city.
The crowd followed them for as long as they walked, eager to watch the spectacle.
The long procession wound its way through the city, accompanied by a constant stream of congratulations. Qin Shaozong rode in front, occasionally glancing back at the carriages behind him. Whether it was the intense sunlight or something else, his eyes seemed to be filled with a layer of shattered diamonds, much brighter than usual.
As the sun gradually set in the west and just dipped below the horizon, the caravan returned to the Marquis's residence.
The main gate of the mansion was wide open, and the carriage stopped in front of it.
"Please get out of the car, Madam."
Dai Li picked up the round fan beside her again, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the carriage door was open and there was a stool underneath. She got up, stepped onto the stool, and slowly got out of the carriage.
The guests were all in their seats, some in the main hall and others in the front courtyard. Long tables laden with delicious dishes were arranged in neat rows, filling the spacious mansion to capacity. For the first time, the mansion felt crowded.
The moment Dai Li stepped into the front courtyard, she felt countless gazes upon her. Sizing her up, admiration, curiosity, scrutiny…
"A match made in heaven, surely a blissful union." Someone said first.
Someone started it, and a wave of blessings swept over us.
"A match made in heaven, a perfect couple."
Amidst the congratulations, Dai Li continued walking with Qin Shaozong into the hall, fan in hand. The hall had clearly been rearranged and was equally festive.
Since Qin Shaozong's parents had passed away, the step of kneeling before them to receive their instructions was omitted. After the bowing ceremony was completed, the bride entered the hall, while Qin Shaozong stayed outside to entertain the guests.
The area of the Marquis's mansion is much larger than that of the Qin mansion. As Dai Li walked along, she saw palaces and pavilions in the distance, with winding corridors and high-pitched eaves. After entering the main courtyard, there was even a rockery and a fish pond, which looked like a miniature back garden.
“Madam, the Marquis has not returned so soon. Please have something to eat first.” Nianxia brought over the pastries.
Dai Li was indeed a little hungry, but just after finishing a small pastry, she heard Bi Po, who was waiting outside, say, "The Lord has arrived."
"So fast?" Nianxia exclaimed in surprise.
Dai Li calmly drank a few sips of tea, wiped her mouth clean with a handkerchief, and then raised her fan again.
Qin Shaozong turned into the inner room, where a pair of red candles were burning quietly, and there were many exquisite ornaments in the room.
A sandalwood incense table stands to the side, upon which rests a black lacquered and gold-painted dressing case. Not far away is a three-panel carved bird screen, and the gauze curtains hanging on the couch flutter slightly in the wind, revealing half of the cloud patterns.
But Qin Shaozong was completely oblivious to all of that; his eyes were fixed on the woman on the couch. The woman held a fan to cover her face, and the hem of her dress spread out like fiery red lotuses on either side.
She was in his bedroom; after today, they would be husband and wife.
From now on, we will share the same bed in life and the same lungs in death.
"My lord, please compose a poem to prompt the bride to remove the fan," the master of ceremonies, who had accompanied Qin Shaozong, said with a smile.
Qin Shaozong froze for a moment.
Dai Li covered her face with her fan, so she couldn't see, but she could hear the master of ceremonies' words, after which there was a long, long silence in the room.
The word "却" in "却扇礼" also means "to go".
The groom needs to compose a poem to move the bride before she will remove the fan. This process is well-known, and generally the groom will prepare a poem in advance.
But what if this poem is used ahead of schedule due to some unforeseen circumstances...
Behind the fan, Dai Li subtly curled her lips into a smile.
Perhaps Qin Changgeng has been thinking about it all afternoon and still hasn't figured it out.
The emcee was shocked to see the atmosphere freeze. He couldn't help but look at Qin Shaozong and saw that his jawline was taut as if facing a formidable enemy.
"My lord, did you spend a lot of time entertaining the guests outside? Why don't you have a cup of tea first to soothe your throat?" The master of ceremonies hurriedly ordered a maid to serve tea.
Qin Shaozong coughed, pressing his fist to his lips, and said, "Alright."
Dai Li's smile deepened.
After finishing his tea, Qin Shaozong spoke, "It's still 'Please, My Lady.' Snow-white skin, satin hair, golden hairpins, a round fan covering half her face. My dear, you will be my wife from now on, no need to be shy and hide your beautiful face."
Dai Li couldn't help but laugh.
This is even more careless and blatant than the first one.
However, it's clear that he, as a military officer, truly tried his best. If he were asked to compose another poem, he probably wouldn't be able to finish it until tomorrow morning...
The round fan blocking the way was slowly removed.
At this moment, it was as if a vivid painting was being unfolded. Under the lamplight, the woman's red mole between her eyebrows was bright, and her hair was full and lustrous. As her red lips curled up to reveal a slight smile, the peonies on the high platform, blooming in full glory, swayed slightly, bringing out a mature and beautiful color that made people dizzy.
Qin Shaozong's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
After the fan-offering ceremony, there is the hand-washing ceremony. Simply put, it is washing one's hands, symbolizing starting a new life with a pure heart.
Dai Li got up from the couch and went to wash her hands with Qin Shaozong. After wiping the water droplets off her hands, Nian Xia came forward with a tray containing beef.
Sharing a meal, sharing joys and sorrows.
Dai Li picked up her jade chopsticks and took a small, thinly sliced piece of beef.
Qin Shaozong also picked up his chopsticks, but unlike Dai Li, who was careful to eat her meat and try not to get any on her lips, he kept his eyes on her the whole time, his brown eyes, illuminated by the firelight, reflecting her image.
That gaze was so intense, it felt as if molten oil had been poured onto my skin, then seeped into my very bones, making it impossible to ignore.
Dai Li's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't look up at him.
After they put down their jade chopsticks, Bibo brought over a silver plate with a bitter gourd that had been split in two on it.
They drank from the same cup, and from then on, husband and wife were one.
Sake flowed over the gourd, and the two people standing opposite each other raised their gourds to drink. They stood very close, and when they raised their hands, the ends of their wide sleeves brushed lightly against each other.
The gourd was poured out, and the millet wine was swallowed.
The nuptial ceremony is complete.
Dai Li put down the gourd half, and the hard bottom of the gourd made a "click" sound against the silver plate, like the sound of some dust settling.
That same ardent, unrestrained, and greedy gaze came over again. Dai Li sighed inwardly, but finally met his eyes. "I wish to be of one heart and mind with you, and to treat each other with the utmost respect."
Qin Shaozong's long eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
I'm somewhat satisfied, but also somewhat dissatisfied.
But his slight displeasure was quickly dispelled by the two strands of long hair that were presented to him. This long hair was obviously not freshly picked, otherwise Dai Li's complicated hairstyle would definitely be messed up.
The hair I took yesterday will be used to tie my hair today.
Qin Shaozong waved away the others and personally picked up two strands of long hair to tie them up. He was skilled and tied them up neatly.
Dai Li raised an eyebrow, recalling the time he accidentally pulled out her hair before, and suspected that he had practiced that more than once in private.
After the hair is tied, the ceremony is complete, and the next step is the wedding night.
However, Qin Shaozong's parents had passed away, and the situation was special. He needed to personally go out and greet the guests outside. "Madam, would you like to come with me?"
Dai Li thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Drinking is inevitable for guests, and not only Qin Shaozong has to drink, but several of the younger generation won't be able to escape it either. She needs to check on Zhouzhou's alcohol tolerance.
The two left hand in hand.
Just now, Dai Li had been walking by with her face covered by a round fan, and many guests had only seen her profile and not her face. But now they could see her face.
The autumn chrysanthemum shines brightly, and the spring pine flourishes.
Her eyebrows and eyes were particularly striking; her slightly upturned eyes looked as if they were painted with meticulous brushwork. They were clearly beautiful, yet her demeanor made them appear extremely dignified, without the slightest hint of vulgarity.
Dai Li accompanied Qin Shaozong to entertain the guests, glancing at Qin Yanzhou from time to time, and only felt relieved when she saw that he hadn't drunk too much.
The wedding was held at dusk, and by the time the guests had enjoyed themselves and left, the sky had already darkened.
Today's wedding has one last item remaining.
Author's Note: Just one last item left! [dog head with rose in hand]
Quickly take out your nutrient solutions and contribute as a gift [empty bowl]
①: The Book of Rites, Chapter on Marriage
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