After leaving Xuanpingfang, the wedding procession made its way to the Qin Prince's Mansion in Xinlingfang. Musicians played along the way, attracting many onlookers.
The King of Qin's wedding was a grand affair, with a magnificent procession and several matchmakers scattering baskets full of lucky money along the way. Those who caught the money followed the procession, jostling forward to offer auspicious words, hoping the King would be pleased and reward them with even more.
The short stretch of road from Xuanpingfang to Xinlingfang was completely blocked by crowds of people coming to ask for lucky money. The carriages and people stretched into a long line and moved slowly. The scene was even more lively than a prince's wedding.
Even Zhou Zhenrong, who was confined to the inner courtyard, vaguely heard the commotion outside and asked the maidservant, "What's all that noise outside? Why is it so noisy?"
"Reporting to Miss, it was just some commoners passing by..." The maid lowered her head, not daring to look at her, her expression strange.
Today is Zhou Zhenrong's wedding day. She was originally just a concubine. In addition, the Empress was angry that she almost ruined Prince Chen's important matter. In order to appease the Yang family, Prince Chen could only keep a low profile when taking a concubine. By evening, a sedan chair was carried into Prince Chen's mansion, and the ceremony was considered complete.
Zhou Zhenrong was spoiled by her family and had her share of tantrums, but with the Empress above her, even the head of the Zhou family dared not say a word and could only force Zhou Zhenrong to accept it.
However, the timing was unexpectedly unfortunate, coinciding with the King of Qin's wedding.
"Why is there music and laughter when people are just passing by?" Zhou Zhenrong asked casually, frowning. However, the maid stammered and couldn't answer, and her face showed a hint of panic.
Her usual maids had been transferred, and the ones serving her now were all inexperienced maids arranged by her mother. Zhou Zhenrong stared coldly at the other woman, and the more she looked, the more suspicious she became. She questioned in a deep voice, "What exactly is going on outside? If you keep stammering, don't blame me for having your tongue cut out!"
The maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, saying, "Please spare me, young lady! Outside, there is the King of Qin's wedding procession!"
"The King of Qin is welcoming a bride?" Zhou Zhenrong exclaimed "Ha!" and clapped her hands in laughter. The pent-up frustration and resentment she had been feeling these past few days actually dissipated somewhat upon hearing the tragic news of Shen Youying's death.
She lifted her skirt and strode out, saying, "I have to go take a look."
When the maid saw that she was about to leave, she quickly got up and tried to stop her, but Zhou Zhenrong did not intend to leave. Instead, she went up to the second floor of the embroidery building and looked out.
The embroidered tower faces the main gate. Looking into the distance, one can see a long red dragon winding along the main street of the Zhou mansion. At the very front is the wedding procession, followed by the groom and his maids and servants.
At the very center of the procession was a sixteen-bearer sedan chair, larger than an ordinary carriage, with octagonal eaves and red tassels hanging from its base—a ceremonial item second only to the Crown Princess. Behind the sedan chair followed countless porters, red silk ribbons tied around their waists, carrying loads of dowry and betrothal gifts on their shoulders…
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a grand wedding procession of ten miles.
Zhou Zhenrong clenched her fingers so tightly that her deliberately trimmed long nails dug into her palms, almost drawing blood.
My earlier interest in watching the spectacle has completely vanished.
At this moment, the maid hurriedly caught up, saw the ferocious expression on her face, and called out in fear, "Miss."
Zhou Zhenrong gave her a gloomy look, then went back with a cold face.
*
The bridal sedan chair swayed all the way, and Shen Youying, with her heavy phoenix crown on her head, felt her neck almost stiff when they finally arrived at the Prince of Qin's mansion.
Holding a round fan, she stepped out of the sedan chair and was escorted into the mansion by a large group of unfamiliar maids and servants. After bowing to heaven and earth amidst loud singing and chanting, she was sent to the bridal chamber without even having a chance to take a good look at her future husband.
The guests in the outer courtyard were drinking and making merry, and their noise carried all the way to the inner courtyard.
Shen Youying sat upright on the wedding bed, listening to the commotion outside. Thinking that the King of Qin should still be entertaining guests in front for a while, she quietly called Danzhu, who was guarding the door, to come in. She turned her back to the door and said, "Take off my phoenix crown. It's so heavy it's making my neck feel like it's going to break." She grumbled and complained, her fingertips constantly rubbing her sore neck.
The phoenix crown sent by the King of Qin was so heavy that the long tassels adorned with pearls and rubies weighed down on her neck, making it feel like it was about to break.
Danzhu remained silent and removed the phoenix crown, placing it aside.
Shen Youying finally relaxed a bit and couldn't help but yawn. She had gotten up too early today and hadn't slept well at all. After all that commotion for most of the day, she started to feel sleepy.
She covered her lips with her sleeve and yawned slightly, saying, "Keep an eye on things for me, I'm going to take a nap." Her voice softened as she became sleepy.
Xue Shen looked at her with great interest, then suddenly said, "Your Highness, it's not too late to go to sleep after you've drunk the nuptial wine."
The unfamiliar male voice struck her like a thunderclap, startling Shen Youying out of her drowsiness. She looked up in alarm and realized that it was not Danzhu who had entered the room, but Xue Shen.
Xue Shen was dressed in red, with a four-clawed golden python coiled around his clothes and tied at the waist with a leather belt. He was handsome and elegant, like a precious jade. However, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Shen Youying with a hint of amusement, as if he were smiling but not laughing, which made him look a little wicked.
Shen Youying's heart pounded like a drum. After a long while, she hurriedly picked up a round fan to cover her face and called out in a trembling voice, "Your Highness."
Xue Shen turned his wheelchair to the table, picked up the wine pot and poured two cups of wine. He handed one cup to Shen Youying, his voice as deep and resonant as a zither: "Here."
Shen Youying took a deep breath and peeked through the edge of the fan, but saw no sign that the other party was going to cause trouble. She tried to convince herself not to be afraid, as angering the other party would not do any good. The two instructors had also said that the King of Qin liked obedient and compliant people.
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