Chapter 12: The Eastern Palace Wedding
As the imperial edict fell, the surroundings froze in an instant. It was so quiet that even the sound of a silver needle falling to the ground could be heard clearly.
Countless gazes were cast at the four members of the Yang family like thorns, some were astonished, some were questioning, and some were just looking forward to the show.
Yang Qianxing and his wife and their youngest daughter Yang Jingzhen opened their eyes wide, their faces filled with disbelief.
This is actually the imperial decree to appoint the Crown Princess? Did they hear it right?
Yang Manyan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and his hands hidden under his sleeves trembled slightly.
It was not until the messenger signaled that she woke up from her dream and stretched out her trembling hands to take the imperial edict.
"Hurry up and thank me, Crown Princess!" A subtle reminder came from the crowd.
She suddenly came to her senses, and hurriedly held up the imperial edict and kowtowed to the ground: "Your Highness, I thank you for your grace. Long live the emperor!"
When she stood up, the envoy and others all bowed to her in unison: "Your Highness, we pay our respects to the Crown Princess!"
Even though the Duke of Wei and his family were extremely reluctant, they could only follow the crowd and perform the ceremony reluctantly.
Xu Chengzong gritted his teeth, veins bulged on his forehead, and he was filled with resentment but had nowhere to express it.
Yesterday, Yang rejected him without hesitation. It turned out that she had hooked up with the prince in the palace! No wonder even the prince of the Duke's Mansion looked down on him!
This was the first time Yang Manyan had faced such a scene. He suppressed his panic and said timidly, "No need to be polite."
But now, who dares to look down on the Crown Princess chosen by His Majesty?
A few days later, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory calculated an auspicious day for the Crown Prince's wedding and presented it to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The prince happened to be nearby, and the father and son were discussing the abolition of the royal family and vassal system.
Since the founding of the country, except for the late Emperor Yongshun and the current emperor, all the emperors have had many children. These princes have inherited their titles and their descendants have multiplied, and the court has spent a huge amount of money just to support them.
Because of this, Xiao Ke had no interest in expanding his offspring. The crown prince had already been decided, so why bother keeping a bunch of useless people and wasting the national treasury?
In comparison, choosing the prince's wedding date is just a trivial matter.
The emperor pushed the booklet toward the prince and said, "Zi'an, you decide for yourself."
Xiao Yan flipped it open and saw that the earliest auspicious day was at the end of September and the latest would be at the beginning of the following year.
Somehow, a gorgeous and dazzling face suddenly appeared before his eyes.
What my reading companion Xu Chengzong said a few days ago is debatable, but what he said about her being "seductive and charming" is indeed true.
Xiao Qi secretly thought to himself, how could a poor family like the Yang family raise such a stunning beauty?
After a long pause, he said, "Father, I think it is best to choose the earliest possible date. Yang will surely make many enemies if she becomes the Crown Princess. The sooner the marriage is completed, the more stable it will be."
If it is delayed until the year after next, there is no guarantee that someone will not take action against the Yang family.
The emperor nodded approvingly and changed the subject: "I heard that Yang grew up in the countryside in her early years, and her personality may not suit your taste. If you don't like her in the future, you can marry a few more noble ladies from aristocratic families."
Xiao Qi frowned slightly when he heard this. Although he found the words harsh, he still responded respectfully.
In a blink of an eye, it was late September, the day of the East Palace’s wedding.
At dawn, the sound of firecrackers rang out one after another in the new mansion in Chengqingfang in the east of the city.
This mansion with five entrances and five exits was bestowed by His Majesty on the Crown Princess's mother's family. It is magnificent and grand.
Yang Qianxing, as the father of the Crown Princess, was promoted to the rank of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and his wife, Xue, was also granted the title of Third-Rank Lady of Honour.
The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the country's territory, fields, household registration, taxes, salaries and all financial matters. The emperor's move seems to be a favor to the Crown Princess's mother's family, but in fact it is paving the way for tax reform.
Before daybreak, the female official sent from the palace woke up Yang Manyan.
While she was half asleep and half awake, the female officials methodically changed her into the wedding dress and bridal veil that their superiors, the Bureau of Wedding Design, had carefully prepared for her.
She wore a bright red round-necked wedding gown with a golden-yellow wide-sleeved phoenix robe on the outside, which was second only to the empress in specifications.
The gold and silver threads in the brocade wide-sleeved shirt are intertwined and fused to weave countless dark patterns of phoenixes and dragons, which are elegant, luxurious and exquisite.
The royal blue shawl is shaped like a long sash, wrapped around the neck and draped over the chest, with a large round red gold pendant hanging from the bottom.
Because she had to wear a phoenix crown, the female officials only tied her black hair into a simple big bun to fix the phoenix crown in place.
When she finished dressing, the female officials immediately became serious and solemnly placed the red gold and kingfisher phoenix crown with six dragons and four phoenixes on Yang Manyan's head.
The phoenix crown is made of hollow gold threads, on which the golden dragon and green phoenix are vivid, and the pearls, gems, red gold, and kingfisher feathers are dazzling in color, complementing each other with their brilliance.
Yang Manyan was suddenly pressed down by the phoenix crown inlaid with thousands of pearls and gems, and he felt dizzy.
She sat in front of the dressing table for a long time, and the maid Xingyun quietly handed her a few snacks.
"Miss, please fill your stomach first."
Yang Manyan actually didn't have much of an appetite, but when he thought about today's tedious ritual process, he reluctantly took a few bites to replenish his strength.
The crown prince's wedding was the first happy event in the palace in more than ten years, and the scene was unprecedentedly grand.
When the whole city learned that the prince would personally ride out of the palace to welcome his bride, there was an uproar. The road from Donghua Gate to Chengqingfang in the east of the city was crowded with people, all coming to catch a glimpse of the crown prince.
Xiao Yan was riding on a Ferghana horse, dressed in the formal crown and robes of the crown prince. He had an upright posture, a handsome face, and a natural air of nobility.
After picking up the Crown Princess, the motorcade returned to the palace along the original route, entered the Donghua Gate and drove all the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony before stopping.
On the high platform between the golden pillars in the center of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is a magnificent gilded throne with cloud and dragon patterns.
Xiao Ke was wearing the imperial robes and sitting on the dragon throne, waiting for the prince and his new bride to come and pay their respects to him.
Under the eaves in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Zhonghe Shao music played melodiously; inside the Taihe Gate, the Danbi Da music played majestically and stirringly.
Bells and drums rang, ritual music sounded, and a solemn and dignified atmosphere filled the air.
The royal family members in Beijing stood on the Danbi, and the civil and military officials from the first to the ninth rank lined up neatly on both sides of the imperial road in Danchi.
The "Pinji Mountain" symbolizing rank is displayed here, and everyone is here to welcome the crown prince and the new bride into the palace.
Yang Manyan slowly got out of the wedding sedan, and a large hand with distinct joints stretched out in front of her.
She was slightly startled, and then her heart was pounding. After hesitating for a moment, she gently placed her hand on him.
The man's palms were warm and strong. He supported her steadily as they stepped onto the white marble steps in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
As early as several months ago, the palace sent female officials to the Yang Mansion to carefully teach Yang Manyan all the etiquette for the wedding day.
She is gifted with intelligence and an excellent memory, and has memorized all the procedures by heart.
The two of them walked into the hall side by side and stopped in front of the throne.
Then, they folded their hands, knelt on the prepared cushions, and solemnly performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows towards the dragon throne.
The emperor looked at the prince, who was not yet twenty but already looked mature and steady, with satisfaction in his eyes.
The prince had been raised by his side since he was one year old, and he had personally educated and enlightened him. They were together day and night, and the friendship between them was incomparable to that between ordinary fathers and sons.
"No need to be so polite." His voice was dignified and cold.
The prince and his bride then slowly stood up and stood straight, like two carefully carved festive dolls.
A smile flashed across the emperor's eyes, and then he slowly turned his gaze to the Crown Princess who was wearing a phoenix coronet and bridal robe.
If the dynasty's previous standards for selecting a crown princess were used, Yang would obviously not meet the criteria. The emperor did not have high expectations for this crown princess and only hoped that she would behave herself.
However, the moment he saw the Crown Princess's appearance clearly, the smile on his face froze instantly.
How could it be her? The emperor's heart suddenly shuddered.
The person in front of him was clearly the little palace maid whom he almost favored in Xuanguang Pavilion half a year ago...
He suddenly remembered that Chang Ying had indeed found out that two beautiful girls had passed through the Imperial Garden, and one of them was Yang Qianxing's daughter.
But at that time he didn't take it to heart, nor did he delve into the identity of the little palace maid.
The emperor frowned, thinking to himself that if he had ordered people to continue the investigation that day, they would have definitely found Yang, and he would never allow a woman with whom he had a relationship to become the crown princess.
Unfortunately, it's too late now.
Chang Ying reminded quietly: "Your Majesty, it's time to let the two princes leave the palace to accept the congratulations of the officials."
The emperor came to his senses, said a few words of encouragement, and waved his hand to signal the two to leave.
Yang Manyan remembered the female official's instruction carefully and kept his eyes down when paying his respects, never looking directly at the emperor's face.
But before leaving, she couldn't help but secretly glance up.
With just one glance, Yang Manyan was struck by lightning - it turned out that the person that night was actually the current emperor! ?
Seeing that she was frozen in place, Xiao Yan thought that she was intimidated by her father's imperial aura, so he reached out and held her hand again, squeezing it gently.
Yang Manyan quickly collected his thoughts, lowered his head and followed the prince out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
After that, after a series of tedious ceremonies, when the couple finally arrived at the East Palace, the sky was already dyed with orange-red sunset.
After entering the bedroom, the two performed the wedding ceremony according to tradition.
After a whole day of busyness, Xiao Yan finally had time to calm down and take a closer look at his bride.
The phoenix crown on her head was embellished with pearls and jade, which was magnificent. The beads hanging on both sides swayed gently. The wedding gown and bridal veil on her body were even more exquisite, with intricate embroidery and brilliant colors.
She was born with a beautiful appearance, as bright as a lotus, and she looked even more dazzling when dressed up.
As night fell, the flames of the dragon and phoenix candles in the hall danced gently, and the warm yellow light sprinkled on her delicate face, adding a touch of tenderness.
Looking at the person in front of him, Xiao Yan's heartbeat suddenly quickened.
He clenched his fist and coughed a few times to hide his inner discomfort, and said, "Let's wash up and change clothes."
"Yes." Yang Manyan's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had been pardoned.
The heavy phoenix crown made her neck ache. If she continued to wear it, she was afraid she would not be able to bear it.
Xiao Qi happened to meet her pair of sparkling almond-shaped eyes, and the tips of his ears gradually turned red.
After each of them took a bath and changed their clothes, they returned to the bedroom and lay side by side on the nanmu bed.
In the silence, each other's breathing can be clearly heard.
Under the guidance of the female instructor, Yang Manyan has confirmed that she did not lose her virginity half a year ago. However, today she learned that the man she had sex with that night was the most beautiful woman in the world...
She was worried and could only secretly hope that the emperor had forgotten what happened that night.
Inside the bed curtains, the delicate fragrance of the young girl lingered, and Xiao Qing's throat tightened.
Under the influence of his father, he had never had a maid serving him since he was a child. This was the first time in his life that he was alone in a room with a woman.
After a long silence, he suddenly turned sideways and said in a hoarse voice: "Let's go to bed?"
A warm breath brushed past her ears, and Yang Manyan's cheeks suddenly turned red, and her previous panic disappeared in an instant.
Looking at the clear-faced Crown Prince in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder, does such a person really want to perform the Zhougong ceremony with her?
After a moment's stalemate, seeing that she didn't answer, Xiao Yan asked again seriously.
He would never do anything rash before getting Yang Manyan's consent.
Yang Manyan's cheeks were red with shame, almost bleeding, and he finally responded timidly: "Okay."
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