Chapter 32 Wedding Night: My Drama Queen Roommate, Changsun Qingjing
The crowd then watched the wedding candles and played with the bride inside the green pavilion.
For a moment, glasses clinked and voices rang out.
The bride and groom entered the banquet hall to formally meet and chat with their relatives and friends.
During the banquet, some people questioned the couple about whether they had met secretly before the wedding, some asked the bride which poem she loved the most, and the young women asked if the eldest grandson Qingjing could ride and shoot, so that he could accompany them on their future trips; the older people were worried about whether the visit to the bride's parents-in-law would go smoothly the next day, and asked if the bride had prepared shoes.
Changsun Qingjing answered each question in turn.
Suddenly, the drum sounded three times, and the entire place fell silent.
The lithe and boneless dancers leaped from behind the curtains into the center of the green pavilion. Their strong and powerful figures were outlined in their red, narrow-sleeved robes. The bells on their rolled-brim hats rang crisply with the drumbeats, and their purple ribbons swayed in the air like the wind along with their graceful waists.
As the guests were captivated by the alluring glances of the courtesan Zhezhi, clapping and cheering without a care in the world, Madam Dou bid farewell to her elder relatives one by one, and was helped away by Fourth Sister Li Longyue.
The wedding night is a celebration for young people. The second day after the wedding is the grand ceremony where the bride meets her parents-in-law and the whole family. The third day is the day after the bride visits the temple to pay respects to the ancestors, after which the marriage is officially considered complete.
If elders don't want to get a headache from the young people's rambling and crazy noise tonight, and don't want to interfere with these inappropriate words and deeds, avoiding them is a good, dignified, and mutually unrelated solution.
After the Zhezhi dance, the candles were not even half-burned. Fueled by the wine, the women pulled Changsun Qingjing into playing pitch-pot and dice games, while the men insisted on dragging Li Shimin into sword fighting and wrestling.
The young people in the hut were playing and singing, completely disregarding their usual routines.
When the wedding candles had burned halfway through, it was nearly midnight. The guests reminded each other to take their "guest supplies" with them, then bid farewell to the newlyweds and departed.
Exhausted, the two looked at the overturned cups and plates and the mess on the floor inside the hut and couldn't help but sigh at how difficult it was to start a family.
After the glitz and glamour faded, weariness crept into my heart and spread to my chest.
The thought of sleeping startled them both awake.
"Young master, young lady, the master and madam have instructed you both to rest early. The madam also said that the young master is older and should take better care of his new wife, and should not act willfully or recklessly." Liu Niangzi, Li Shimin's wet nurse, stepped forward to give these instructions to the two women at the request of Lady Dou.
After saying that, Li Shimin childishly stretched out his hand to show Lady Liu.
"Oh, what's the big deal? If it had been any later, I wouldn't have been able to see the scratches on the back of your hand!" Liu Niangzi teased.
Changsun Qingjing lowered his head and remained silent, pretending to fiddle with the patterns on the red sleeves of his blue wedding dress, ignoring the crazy talk.
"The night dew is heavy, and the charcoal fire is reduced to embers. We cannot linger in the bridal chamber any longer. Madam, please come with me to familiarize yourself with the new room." Madam Liu led the way, with A-Cai carrying the candle holder, and they headed straight for the new room.
The newcomer was extremely tired and kept yawning.
Lady Liu said to Changsun Qingjing, "Madam also instructed me to tell Lady Changsun that you should sleep soundly tonight and not worry about meeting your parents-in-law tomorrow. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), as usual, Miss Acai will wake you up and help you with your washing and dressing, all according to the old Gao family custom. You can have a simple meal with your parents-in-law before Sishi (9-11 AM)."
Changsun Qingjing nodded gently, appreciating that Madam Dou was kind and gentle, not a harsh mistress who liked to arbitrarily establish her authority.
Li Shimin moved closer to her and gently tugged at Changsun Qingjing's sleeve. The edges of their sleeves overlapped, and their fingers rubbed together.
Compared to the formal, public hand-holding at a wedding, this private and restrained ambiguity captivated Changsun Qingjing. In the cold winter night, his slender, cold knuckles seemed to melt in his warm, throbbing hands.
A burning, stinging shiver ran from her fingertips through her skin, coursing through her veins and eroding her conscious mind, touching her lonely soul.
Just as her will was about to succumb to this all-encompassing, irresistible force, the dark sky flickered and a single, cold tear fell.
Her fingers escaped from his palm, and her burgeoning soul shrank to a safe corner, no longer responding to the burning, painful trembling.
Changsun Qingjing clasped his sleeves together, clenched his fists, and squeezed them together, trying to give himself some strength to fight against his helplessness.
The road to the future was too long. After the flickering candlelight circled several corridors and courtyards, its faint orange light was swallowed up by a bright light.
The maids opened the curtains for the newlyweds. Inside the room, the charcoal fire in the incense burner was burning brightly, and on either side of the bed curtains hung two gilded moth-shaped incense balls.
The sweet, deep scent of benzoin lingers around you.
"Someone, remove the young master's clothes and remove the flowers from the lady's clothes," Lady Liu instructed her maid.
"Wait!" Changsun Qingjing and Li Shimin refused in unison.
Changsun Qingjing even had the illusion that his words had been stolen. After an awkward exchange of glances, Acai helped Changsun Qingjing sit down in front of the mirror. The master and servant remained silent, staring blankly at the bronze mirror.
The dressing case was filled with hairpins, combs, gold and silver hair ornaments, half of which were old items and half were newly added items.
"Young master, it's already midnight!" Lady Liu guessed that the two were feeling awkward and uneasy.
It seemed impolite to urge the bride to sleep, so she gave the groom a meaningful look.
"That's because I had bad luck rolling the dice!" Changsun Qingjing turned his face away from the bronze mirror and retorted irritably.
For a moment, Liu Niangzi couldn't understand why the two children's unwillingness to share a room was related to Bo Sai.
"So, I drank all the wine that your sisters-in-law made you drink as punishment. My wife, you didn't even say thank you!"
"That's true." Changsun Qingjing was somewhat grateful to Li Shimin for resolving her predicament, so she jokingly bowed to him in thanks, "Ana is my witness, I have already thanked you, young master."
Liu Niangzi felt somewhat helpless as she watched the two of them chatter about absurd and nonsensical topics.
"I'm very dizzy, and my head is throbbing with pain if I move even slightly." After saying this, Li Shimin deliberately sat down a few steps away from the mirror, rubbed his forehead, and said a few times that he was unwell.
"Auntie, you must have prepared some hangover soup, right? I'll feel better after a few sips."
"Alright, I'll go prepare the clove drink." Madam Liu felt that what Li Shimin said was not untrue. When the guests were watching the wedding candles and adoring the bride, she had indeed personally witnessed this stubborn boy, who was not good at drinking, stand firm and insist on drinking and chatting with others. He was also very protective of his wife and even took the punishment drinks for her. Now the effects of the alcohol were starting to kick in, which made her, his wet nurse, extremely distressed.
"Don't fall asleep, or you'll fall into a deep sleep and there won't be any drinks left." After saying this, Madam Liu called several maids who were serving their mistress to bedtime to retreat to the outer room.
Changsun Qingjing also said to Acai, "You should rest for a while. I'll keep the young master company and help him sober up."
A-Cai glanced at the two people present, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered in Changsun Qingjing's ear: "There's a scroll at the very bottom of the dressing case..."
Changsun Qingjing was quite tired after a busy day and couldn't hear clearly. He only thought that she was being reminded of the jewelry she would wear when visiting her aunt and uncle tomorrow. It seemed easier than getting through tonight's predicament.
She didn't press for details about what Ah Cai was talking about, and just replied perfunctorily, "I know, I know, you go and rest."
As soon as the two of them were left in the bedroom, Li Shimin began to impatiently remove the hairpin from his crown and untie the black tassel.
Changsun Qingjing looked at him warily: "What are you doing?"
Li Shimin was taken aback by the girl's terrified and sharp bang, and paused for a moment with his hands on the ties near his chin.
"Don't overthink it." Li Shimin placed the ceremonial cap beside him and pointed to his hair, which had been stuffed inside the crown all day. "I've been hot and cold, cold and hot, sweating, drying, and sweating again. Now my head smells terrible. This room is practically scorched by the oven. Do you think I should take off the cap and wear it to sleep? You can smell it if you don't believe me." With that, he turned the black cap upside down and handed it to Changsun Qingjing.
Changsun Qingjing snorted, covered her mouth and nose, turned her head away, and moved her knees slightly in the opposite direction. Facing the bronze mirror, she removed her ceremonial crown, revealing her unadorned, single-bun hairstyle. She had intended to let Li Shimin recognize the floral decoration on her forehead, but then felt that would be too frivolous, so she simply peeled it off.
Changsun Qingjing picked up the silver box containing the face cream, held it close to the jar to warm it for a moment, then took a silk thread, dipped it in the oil, and began to wipe away the rouge, forehead yellow, and lead white. The girl's delicate skin gradually replaced the heavy makeup.
The two remained silent. Li Shimin watched expressionlessly as his young wife dismissed the maid and awkwardly removed her makeup. Curious, he asked, "Are you planning to sit like this until dawn tomorrow?"
Changsun Qingjing remained silent, a few strands of hair falling over her shoulders, exuding an unadorned innocence and charm.
“You yourself don’t want to remove your hairpins, so I’m making excuses for you. You really don’t appreciate kindness.” Li Shimin felt that arguing with this sharp-tongued girl made his leather belt uncomfortable. He subconsciously put his hands on his waist, intending to untie the belt.
Like a startled bird, Changsun Qingjing jumped to her feet and demanded, "Where are your hands?" Faint laughter from a maidservant could be heard from outside the screen and curtains. Overwhelmed with shame and indignation, she was caught between two unsettling states.
Li Shimin sighed, turned his palm over, raised it to his chest, and replied irritably, "I've been very well-behaved. My knees haven't left the mat, and I haven't peeked at you removing your hair ornaments. You should speak properly. Besides, my hands are on my own waist, not yours. Is that any of your business?"
Changsun Qingjing stole a glance at Li Shimin, then silently sat back down in front of the dressing table. Li Shimin could only casually pick up a hand warmer and stare blankly at the floor. He suddenly looked up and tentatively asked, "Did your mother give you a small scroll and tell you to open it only tonight?"
"What scroll? My mother never mentioned it," Changsun Qingjing asked curiously.
"Well, it's a long story," Li Shimin said, putting down his hand warmer and pointing to the dressing case. "Would you like to take a look?"
Do you have that scroll?
“I don’t need it.” His gaze drifted to the window.
What is drawn on that scroll?
Li Shimin raised an eyebrow: "You really want to know?"
"Yes." Changsun Qingjing nodded.
"It's like... a place where one can find refuge under a humble gate. A place where one can find joy even when hungry... that kind of... situation..." He explained hesitantly, his words vague and his eyes darting away.
As Changsun Qingjing pondered the implied meaning of "Chen Fengheng's Gate," she suddenly frowned and began searching for a suitable object on the dressing table.
With her right hand, she reached over a pile of hairpins that could easily pierce and draw blood, and a paperweight incense burner that could easily injure someone, picked up the "Records of the Goddess of Beauty" that had been sent along with her dowry, and threw it at Li Shimin.
The scroll spun slowly in the air a few times, having already forgotten its original purpose of teaching a lesson.
Li Shimin reached out and caught "The Tale of the Goddess of Beauty" steadily, saying mischievously, "I was seriously reciting poetry, what were you thinking about? Why are you so angry!"
"Oh, as if you read serious books every day!" Li Shimin held up "The Tale of the Goddess of Beauty" and waved it a few times. "What kind of magnificent articles on governing the country could that mad emperor who burned books possibly write?"
Seeing Changsun Qingjing pouting, Li Shimin stopped teasing her and instead spoke frankly: "If you're shy, I won't force you. To be honest, I also have a strange feeling that my private matters are being spied on and discussed. I promise to behave properly and not offend you. But tonight, I hope you can help me cover it up."
He placed "The Tale of the Goddess of Beauty" back on the mirror stand, carefully sat a few steps away from Changsun Qingjing, and said softly, "Why don't you take all the responsibility on my shoulders, so that the servants won't gossip and your family won't make things difficult for you..."
He picked up the shad-scale peony hairpin he had removed from the dressing table, placed it in his palm, and gently caressed it, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Suddenly, Li Shimin put down the hairpin, mustered his courage, and asked, "Guanyinbi, you don't dislike me, do you? Can you trust me?"
She stared in surprise at his sincere smile, first shaking her head, then nodding shyly, before bending down to fiddle with her jewelry.
Li Shimin gently parted a corner of the floor-length curtain and counted, "One, two, three, four."
"Why are you counting?" Changsun Qingjing ran up to him and asked.
"Keep your voice down." Li Shimin pressed her back to the dressing table. "My mother arranged four maids for me, and you brought one more, plus Lady Liu, that makes six in total. These six will keep us company tonight..."
"Why would you stay with us?" Changsun Qingjing almost cried out in surprise.
"Serve us until we sleep! And then drink and recite poetry with us?" Li Shimin pressed his palm down hard to remind her not to speak loudly.
"You smell sour and stinky, stay away from me," Changsun Qingjing said mercilessly.
"Why don't you ask how your cousins treat me?" Li Shimin suddenly covered his nose and said, "You didn't wipe off the sesame oil you used to remove your makeup properly, be careful the lynx doesn't come and lick it in the middle of the night..."
Changsun Qingjing raised a hairpin as if to stab him, but saw through the crack that five maids in the outer room were waiting for them to go to bed, and immediately deflated.
"How do you think we can get them away from us?"
Author's note: Hahaha, why does this feel like I'm living in a shared apartment? [eye roll]
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