Madam Xu knew that Xie Zhaozhao's dowry was substantial, but she never expected it to be this extravagant.
Early in the morning, the newly appointed top scholar, Ling Xun, led three hundred male soldiers and one hundred female soldiers, all clad in bright red armor and exuding an imposing aura, out of the village.
They ran into the city, chanting slogans as they ran, their movements synchronized and spirited.
Standing at the entrance of the Xie residence, they shouted in unison: "Wishing Miss Xie a lifetime of joy, mutual love, a predestined relationship spanning three lifetimes, generation after generation, never to be separated, great happiness in every year, growing old hand in hand, perfection in everything, many children and grandchildren, and all your wishes fulfilled."
The shouts were earth-shattering, majestic and powerful, and they lifted everyone's spirits for the coming year.
They were the young lady's personal guards, her dowry!
A lavish dowry is nothing more than gold and silver treasures. Even a grand procession of red dowry only refers to how lavish the dowry of so-and-so's daughter is.
But what if it's a dowry of private soldiers?
Who has this confidence?
Moreover, these four hundred men, clad in bright red armor, were quite imposing. Even if Old Madam Hou had already said she wouldn't be treated poorly, would the Hou family dare to mistreat her with so many private soldiers on her wedding day?
Xu knew that the Xie family had a private army. Every clan had a private army, and it was controlled by the clan leader.
However, Xie Anfeng was the first person to give his private soldiers as part of his daughter's dowry.
Why was it given to Xie Zhaozhao but not Xie Xiangxiang?
Xie Anfeng looked coldly at Madam Xu and said, "Madam Xu, Zhao Zhao's private soldiers are all refugees she has helped. The refugees voluntarily sold themselves into slavery and worked hard on her estate."
They were not soldiers from the Xie family mansion, but private soldiers raised by Xie Zhaozhao herself.
"But, but..." Madam Xu refused to come out.
Xie Zhaozhao had the dowry from Xie Anfeng's first wife; they had the money to support her.
"Why can't the lady's dowry be kept in the household?" Madam Xu finally asked the question she had kept hidden for more than ten years. "Now that the lady is gone, the dowry should be confiscated."
"Who told you to confiscate it? I, Xie Anfeng, would never stoop to swallowing Madam's dowry. Madam is gone, but the children are still here. This dowry should go to the two children."
Xie Anfeng said calmly, "Go back. The children are about to leave. Tell them to get into the sedan chair in peace."
If you hadn't taken such good care of Yan'er during her pregnancy, and if Yan'er hadn't said you were honest, do you think a concubine's daughter like you could have entered the Xie family?
Madam Xu was speechless. She curtsied and withdrew.
Xie Xiangxiang was absolutely furious: "She's keeping a private army? You believe everything he says? How many times has Xie Zhaozhao gone out? Wasn't she being supported by Father and her eldest brother?"
Madam Xu said, "Don't be so loud. Just go out happily. I can tell that Prince Gu values you very much."
“He values me, but I’m such a disappointment! My dowry is far inferior to others, yet we leave home on the same day and enter the same mansion. Where do I put my face?”
She started crying as she spoke.
Xiangxing advised her not to be angry, as crying on the wedding day was considered unlucky.
Xie Xiangxiang couldn't swallow her anger any longer and pointed at Xu Shi, shouting, "In the end, it's all because you're useless! Other people's mothers brought so many shops and estates as dowry, so much dowry that it could easily fill more than a hundred loads. And you? You only managed to scrape together a few loads, and they were all empty shells."
Mrs. Xu was so angry that she trembled and couldn't utter a word; tears streamed down her face.
Who was she doing all this for?
"Don't tell me you're doing this for my own good. You're just saying it. Since you have such a good relationship with the Lady of the Marquis, why don't you ask her to give more betrothal gifts? If the betrothal gifts are more, Father will certainly not dare to give me less dowry."
Madam Xu was helped away by her maid, who advised her to hold back, explaining that the second young lady was only upset by the eldest young lady's generous dowry, not that she was being unfilial.
Madam Xu understood in her heart that she hated Xie Zhaozhao, hated Xie Anfeng, and hated every master in the household, but she dared not say it, lest Xie Anfeng get angry and divorce her.
When Xie Zhaozhao and Xie Xiangxiang got married, it was originally agreed that Xie Yu would carry them out of the house, but Madam Xu insisted that Xie Jin carry her sister.
Why should Xie Zhaozhao be carried out first, and then Xie Xiangxiang?
She wanted Xie Xiangxiang and Xie Zhaozhao to leave their boudoirs and exit the Xie residence at the same time.
We must not fall behind, nor copy others' ideas.
Besides, it's considered very auspicious for a younger brother to carry his older sister on his back.
Xie Jin practiced countless times at home. Fortunately, Xie Xiangxiang wasn't fat, and he was able to carry her.
The two brides finished washing and dressing, and were ready to put on their veils and go out.
Xie Yu waited outside the courtyard for her younger sister to serve tea to their parents. Xie Zhaozhao then offered incense and kowtowed to her biological mother's memorial tablet.
Just as she was about to leave, Xie Zhaozhao told Xie Yu something.
"Brother, I dreamt of Mother last night." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.
Xie Yu suppressed her heartache and said, "My sister has married well; Mother in heaven will be happy."
“My mother told me something, perhaps it was a dream, but I have to tell my brother about it.”
"Please speak, sister."
"Mother said that there were extremely important letters in Father's study, concerning the life and death of the entire Xie family, and that Father and my elder brother should prevent people in the family from stealing them."
Xie Yu was taken aback. He never thought his sister would talk nonsense, especially on her wedding day.
There must be a traitor within the government.
But today is his sister's wedding, and he wants her to leave home happily.
“I’ve remembered everything my sister said.”
Auspicious time.
The uncle and nephew from the Marquis's mansion arrived at the Xie residence on tall horses and in a bridal sedan chair.
Because the uncle and nephew married two sisters at the same time, it became a popular story, and people couldn't help but make comparisons.
The uncle and nephew were quite different; one was gentle and refined, the other noble and refined; one was elegant and graceful, the other imposing and dignified; one was a genius of poetry, the other a top scholar in the imperial examination; one was a future marquis, the other a young grand secretary!
And what about the two Xie sisters?
The eldest daughter of the Xie family's dowry consisted of 226 loads, carried entirely by strong men. The carrying poles were bent into an arc shape, a testament to how full the boxes were of yellow and white goods.
Moreover, the dowry included four hundred imposing private soldiers, one hundred of whom were female soldiers.
This is simply beyond imagination.
How much the eldest daughter of the Xie family is pampered!
As for the second young lady, well, let alone her private soldiers, most of her dowry was empty. Not to mention the carrying poles were bent over, even the porters walked very lightly.
The bridal sedan chair used by Prince Gu for his marriage was just an ordinary bridal sedan chair, neither particularly bad nor anything special.
As for the sedan chair that Grand Secretary Gu used to receive the young lady, that was quite an eye-opener.
My goodness, is this the legendary "Ten Thousand Craftsmen's Sedan Chair"?
A three-dimensional golden lotus flower bloomed on the top of the sedan chair, and the walls were covered with gold leaf. Openwork panels, ivory, and rhinoceros horn were embedded in the walls, and various precious gems and gold fragments were inlaid.
"Oh my, sandalwood, rosewood, ivory, agate, pearls..."
"Have you heard? This sedan chair took sixteen craftsmen ten years to make!"
"Ten years! My goodness!"
Some people thought it was for the Crown Prince's wedding, but the sedan chair wasn't finished when the Crown Prince married his princess.
This 10,000-craft sedan chair is making its debut today.
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