Chapter 39 The Grand Wedding
Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Grand Wedding
The wedding agenda of prominent families is quite complicated, and preparations usually need to be made six months to a year in advance.
However, the wedding ceremony between Shen Tang and Meng Huaiyan had to be completed within two months, which was quite rushed. But because it was a marriage bestowed by the emperor, each ceremony was still quite grand.
The betrothal gifts sent by the Meng family, not to mention jewelry, cloth, shops and other items, amounted to 30,000 taels of silver alone, which was considered exceptionally valuable in the capital.
Shen Tang clicked her tongue in amazement as she looked at the list of betrothal gifts. The princess was quite dissatisfied with her, and the betrothal gifts she gave were at most just enough to make a show of it. It was impossible for her to give her so many gifts to save face.
Most of these are probably Meng Huaiyan's private property.
But this made her dowry look particularly unappealing.
But then I thought about it again, the Meng family is rich and powerful, they don't need her dowry.
Anyway, given her reputation, the Meng family wouldn't look at her any differently just because her dowry was large.
Once Shen Tang thought about it, she felt relieved.
September 8th was an auspicious day for all things. The Meng residence was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, with large red "double happiness" characters and red lanterns hanging throughout the entire mansion.
A long red carpet stretched from inside the courtyard all the way to the gate. Guests came and went in an endless stream, all offering their congratulations. The princess remained indifferent, maintaining only basic politeness.
The Duke, however, stood by with a beaming smile, preventing the atmosphere from becoming awkward.
Since Shen Tang was marrying into the Meng family, it would save her the time spent traveling on the road. However, Meng Huaiyan still made the bridal sedan chair travel along the east and west streets for half an hour.
This marriage has attracted much attention and controversy, so the streets are full of people watching the spectacle today, making it as lively as a festival.
Meng Huaiyan was dressed in a crimson wedding robe and wore a gold and jade crown. He was already handsome, but today he had a rare smile on his lips, which made him even more handsome and captivating.
Many of the young women in the crowd who liked him were already quietly crying.
Some people lamented that Prince Meng had been taken advantage of by that pig, Shen Tang.
Some people speculated that Shen Tang was some kind of witch who had cast a spell on Prince Meng, causing him to be blinded and fall for her.
Some people were envious, saying that Shen Tang had been pestering the prince for so long, and finally, she had turned from a sparrow into a phoenix. With her success, the entire Shen family would probably rise to prominence.
"..."
"......"
Sitting in the bridal sedan chair, Shen Tang was rather speechless. You can curse all you want, but can you at least keep it down?
As if afraid that she, the person involved, wouldn't hear it.
Shen Tang hadn't slept well last night, and she got up early this morning to dress up. Now, the noise from the street was giving her a headache.
The worst part is that they were all insulting her, which annoyed Shen Tang terribly!
Finally, the wedding procession arrived at the Meng residence, and Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
There are many rules and regulations in aristocratic families, but with the experience of getting married in her previous life, she went through the whole process quite smoothly and without any major mistakes.
Since Shen's parents are no longer alive, her aunt is the one present in the main hall today.
The eldest princess still wore that cold expression, and everyone knew she was unhappy with the marriage.
Shen Tang's expression remained unchanged, showing no concern for her attitude.
After the kneeling ceremony was completed, the officiant announced loudly, "The ceremony is complete. Proceed to the bridal chamber."
Today, the wedding is almost complete.
The newlyweds were escorted into their bridal chamber by a group of relatives and friends.
Ultimately, out of consideration for Meng Huaiyan's status, they didn't make too much of a ruckus during the wedding night. After laughing and joking for a while, they pulled the groom out to toast the newlyweds.
The crowd dispersed, and the room became much quieter.
Shen Tang hasn't eaten or drunk anything all day, and she maintained a proper demeanor throughout the entire wedding without daring to relax for a moment. Now that it's finally over, she feels both hungry and tired after relaxing.
Fortunately, there was food laid out in the bridal chamber. Shen Tang lifted her veil and headed towards the table.
Seeing this, Qiao'er quickly reminded her, "Princess Consort, this is against the rules."
Shen Tang waved her hand, not stopping her steps: "Forget about rules for now, I'm starving."
Qiao'er's face turned pale instantly, and she exclaimed in shock, "Princess Consort, today is a joyous occasion, please don't say such unlucky things."
Shen Tang, being a reborn person, still held a sense of awe for this matter and quickly said, "It was a slip of the tongue, please forgive me, gods."
After eating and drinking her fill, Shen Tang felt extremely satisfied, both mentally and physically. A Yun helped her rinse her mouth and apply lip rouge.
After everything was settled, Shen Tang sat upright on the bed waiting for Meng Huaiyan to return.
With so many guests at the Meng residence today, and Meng Huaiyan toasting everyone in rounds, it's probably not going to be too early.
Shen Tang thought he would have to wait until late at night, but he didn't expect him to return in less than an hour.
The matchmaker beside him was busy saying auspicious words and urging Meng Huaiyan to lift the veil.
After the couple drank the wedding wine and the ceremony was completed, the matchmaker and maidservants tactfully withdrew.
In an instant, only the two of them were left in the room. Shen Tang suddenly felt a little nervous, and her fingers clenched unconsciously.
Shen Tang was already beautiful, but dressed up like this today, her beauty is even more striking.
Looking at Shen Tang, who was dressed in the same color wedding dress as him and looked shy with her head down, Meng Huaiyan felt as if something had filled his heart, making him feel full and satisfied.
Just now at the banquet, my mind was filled with the image of her obediently waiting in the bridal chamber. Just thinking about it made my mouth dry and my heart restless.
He wasn't a lustful person, but he always seemed to be an exception in front of Shen Tang.
He declined many toasts from his colleagues, and only with Jiang Congyu's intervention was he finally able to escape.
Meng Huaiyan pulled her hand into his, his voice slightly hoarse: "It's late, let's get settled."
Shen Tang had not yet removed the phoenix crown and hairpins from her head and was about to call A Yun in.
But Meng Huaiyan stopped him, saying, "I'll take it apart for you."
The phoenix crown was heavy and its design was intricate. It was Meng Huaiyan's first time taking it apart, so he was a little clumsy.
Seeing his expression, Shen Tang couldn't help but suggest, "Why don't you just call him A-Yun?"
"Need not."
Meng Huaiyan studied it for a while longer. He was naturally clever, and once he found the trick, he quickly disassembled it.
Shen Tang looked at the person in the bronze mirror. Meng Huaiyan's usually cold and hard face showed a rare tenderness as he gently untied her hair with his fingers.
In the candlelight, their shadows overlapped, making them look somewhat like a sweet couple deeply in love.
Shen Tang felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, and couldn't help but think, if only... if only I could have treated her like this in my past life...
Now, she and he only feel that life is truly unpredictable and fate is cruel.
Suddenly, a warm breath sprayed on her neck, making Shen Tang flinch and instantly come back to her senses.
Meng Huaiyan embraced her from behind, kissed her neck, then swept her into his arms and carried her straight to the bed.
Shen Tang was startled by his sudden movement and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Until her back touched the soft brocade quilt, Shen Tang felt a sense of fear and unease about what was about to happen.
She wasn't completely ignorant about matters between men and women. In her previous life, Meng Huaiyan had been drugged and had physical intimacy with her, but the experience wasn't pleasant.
He was under the influence of drugs and had little sense of reason, so he acted without any gentleness. She was in so much pain that she really didn't have any good feelings about the matter.
Now it's happening again...
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