As the bridal sedan chair came down, Gu Shaoyu had already dismounted and walked in front of it. He gently kicked the door, and Xie Zhaozhao returned the kick with a gentle kick.
The subsequent procedures were the same as those taught to her by the palace maids and her grandmother, so she remained calm.
Unexpectedly, Gu Shaoyu did not kick the sedan door three times upon landing, nor did he try to intimidate her.
He personally reached out his large hand to help her out of the sedan chair, placed one end of the red silk in her hand, and said, "Don't be afraid, I will slowly lead you away."
Xie Zhaozhao nodded, took Hongchou's hand, and followed him into the main hall.
With her head covered by a veil, she couldn't see her surroundings clearly, only her own feet beneath the veil, but she could clearly sense that Gu Shaoyu had paused for a moment.
"Your Majesty?" Gu Shaoyu said in great surprise.
Xie Zhaozhao then heard a hearty laugh: "Jingchen, today I will watch my most favored minister get married."
Gu Shaoyu was about to kowtow to express his gratitude when Emperor Hui laughed and said, "What's the point of you kowtowing alone? Quickly follow the procedure and have your bride kowtow to me."
The Gu family's relatives, as well as the officials who had come with the emperor to witness the ceremony, all said joyfully, "Your Excellency, hurry up and pay respects to Heaven and Earth, lest you miss the auspicious time."
Hua Zisheng then shouted, "Bride and groom, first bow to the ancestors, second bow to the parents, husband and wife bow to each other!"
Then Gu Shaoyu pulled Xie Zhaozhao to kowtow to Emperor Hui.
Emperor Hui laughed heartily, gave them a few instructions, and watched as Xie Zhaozhao was escorted to the secluded courtyard by Gu Shaoyu.
People kept coming up to congratulate us along the way.
"Congratulations, Your Excellency, and congratulations, Madam."
Finally arriving at the room, Xie Zhaozhao sat obediently on the edge of the bed.
Gu Shaoyu said to Yuan Yuanman, "Take good care of Madam. This courtyard is relatively quiet, and no one will break in. Eat and drink whatever you like."
"Thank you, son-in-law!" Manman's voice was filled with joy.
The young lady was feeling unwell when she left home today, but now she feels that she really married the right person.
The Grand Secretary is truly excellent in every way.
It was hot, so Gu Shaoyu placed many ice basins in the room, so Xie Zhaozhao didn't feel too hot despite wearing an elaborate wedding dress.
Yuan Yuan gave her some water to drink, but Xie Zhaozhao still didn't dare to eat anything.
As the sun set, the mansion gradually quieted down. Gu Shaoyu's courtyard was relatively secluded, and the sounds outside seemed distant.
When Gu Shaoyu returned, Xie Zhaozhao saw a pair of large brocade shoes on the ground through her red veil, and her heart pounded.
Using the Ruyi Scale to lift the red veil, Gu Shaoyu looked at Xie Zhaozhao.
She lowered her eyes and blushed.
He knelt down, took her hand, and carefully examined her. Her face was like a peony, her beautiful eyes sparkling, her waist like a willow, her demeanor graceful and elegant, her beauty unparalleled and her charm extraordinary.
Even the most powerful minister of the Great Khan found himself at a loss for words; no words in the world could describe her beauty.
“Zhaozhao,” he said emotionally, holding her hand, “marrying you is the blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes.”
"As well, it is my great fortune to be able to marry you, Grand Secretary."
"Zhaozhao, from now on, you don't need to call me 'concubine' in front of me. We are husband and wife, equals. You and I should address each other as 'you' and 'me,' okay?"
"good."
He took her hand, led her to the table, and brought out the nuptial wine. He placed one cup in her hand and drank the other himself with utmost solemnity.
"Take off your clothes!" Gu Shaoyu said.
"Huh?" So urgent?
"It's so hot outside. Wearing so many layers all day, you must be terribly hot."
The words had become ambiguous, and Gu Shaoyu suddenly found it quite amusing, saying, "Shall I help you take off your hair accessory?"
This headdress, while luxurious, was extremely heavy. Given her impeccable manners, with her back and neck held ramrod straight the entire time, she must have been exhausted.
Xie Zhaozhao tilted her head and looked at him: "Can you?"
According to proper etiquette, she shouldn't be like this, but she wants to live a different life, and she also wants equality.
Gu Shaoyu said earnestly, "If you don't know how, you can learn."
He turned his head, looked at Yuan Yuanman, and said gently, "You've been busy for several days. There's wine and food outside, go and have some, and get some rest. I'll take care of things here, Madam."
Yuan Yuanman had originally wanted to help the young lady remove her hair ornaments, but seeing that they were being rejected, they quickly thanked Gu Shaoyu and left.
Gu Shaoyu told her to sit still and first removed the heavy headdress, then carefully removed the hairpins and hair ornaments, and finally removed the earrings.
"Should I take it apart myself?"
"No, I'll do it."
Men's hands are naturally rougher, and when he took off her earrings and touched her skin, her face turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
Her cascading black hair made her appear even more radiant.
They removed the headdress and the clothes.
She took things apart piece by piece, and after taking apart two pieces, Xie Zhaozhao couldn't take it anymore: "I, I'll do it myself."
Gu Shaoyu's rough fingers touched her lips: "You are not allowed to call yourself 'concubine,' not in front of me."
"This is against the rules."
"I said no, and that means no."
He was left with only his undergarments, but Xie Zhaozhao refused to let him take them off, even at the cost of her life.
"Alright, I've done my service for you. Now it's your turn to serve me."
Take it off!
Take it off!
"There's only one left. You... take it off yourself?"
Gu Shaoyu stood in front of her, his black hair loose, looking down at her face and getting closer: "I'll help you take off your clothes, and then you can help me take mine off, so neither of us will lose out."
Inside the red silk tent, only the melodious nocturne could be heard, mixed with the coaxing voice of Grand Secretary Gu.
"My dear, husband and wife should support each other."
"don't want……"
"I'll caress you?"
"don't want……"
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