Chapter 017 Chapter 17

Xu Duanyi sat upright in the carriage, still covering her face with a fan. She sat on the right side, slightly tilting her head, to look at the scene outside the carriage through the thin gauze curtain.

It was covered by a veil, so it was not very clear.

But she could vaguely see her aunt being supported by Aunt Danfeng and looking at her.

Seems to have noticed her action.

The reluctance on Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face was transformed into a smile. She looked at her and waved to her with a smile.

soon.

The ceremonial officer sings.

The musicians played music.

The wheels rolled over the ground, making a sound like copper bells.

The ceremonial guard officially set out and headed towards the Imperial Gate.

Xu Duanyi is nineteen years old this year.

She entered the palace at the age of six, and thirteen years have passed.

During these thirteen years, she and Empress Dowager Zhaoyu had been together day and night. They were like aunt and niece, as well as mother and daughter. Now that they were suddenly separated, Xu Duanyi was naturally reluctant to leave.

Although Xie Qingya couldn't see her face beneath the fan, he could still catch a glimpse of her movements with his peripheral vision.

He said nothing.

He didn't even focus his eyes fully on her.

He doesn't seem to care what she does.

But occasionally when he lowered his head, he would look at the hand that she had gently held before, feeling the faint warmth that still existed on it, and he would be lost in thought.

The sedan chair was getting closer and closer to the Huangji Gate, and also getting farther and farther away from the people behind it.

Xie Qingya could feel Xu Duanyi sitting up straight again, and could also feel her looking towards him.

He seemed oblivious.

Still looking straight ahead, not saying a word, his jaw was clear and his features distinct.

But the moment she looked over, he clenched his palms tightly and placed them on his knees.

The bright red auspicious robe wrapped around his tall and straight body, and the tense figure hidden underneath could not be seen.

Xu Duanyi could see Xie Qingya's handsome yet indifferent face through the round fan.

The burning temperature on the palm of her hand that did not belong to her seemed to still remain...Xu Duanyi could not help but gently clasp her slender fingers, as if wanting the temperature to stay a little longer.

She didn't speak.

The face turned towards Xie Qingya, but it only stayed there for a short while before she turned it back.

Both of them faced forward, silent.

The spring is beautiful.

There was a lot of music outside the car, but inside it was completely silent.

Even though newlyweds do not talk much when they first get married, it is rare for them to not say a word.

…

Outside the Imperial Palace.

After watching the carriage leave, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu felt too lazy to stay here any longer.

He only instructed a few ladies from the royal family to go to the Prince of Nan'an's Palace and keep Xu Duanyi company.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not want Xu Duanyi to live in loneliness after her marriage, so she gave an oral order, asking them to go to Prince Nan'an's palace to liven up the atmosphere.

All officials and ladies dared not disobey.

Therefore, after Empress Dowager Zhaoyu left, almost everyone else, except some old ministers who were not under the command of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, followed her out of the palace.

However, the young emperor could not leave the palace.

Therefore, he was accompanied by the little nobleman back to the Qianqing Palace to rest.

"Her Majesty the Queen Mother."

On the way back, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu sat on the sedan chair with her eyes closed when she heard a voice coming from behind her.

Outside the sedan chair, Dan Feng glanced behind him, then turned to Queen Dowager Zhao Yu and said, "Queen Dowager, it's Cao Da."

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu didn't even blink, she just hummed.

She had been dealing with Cao Da for so many years that she naturally recognized his voice.

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu remained silent.

Still leaning on the sedan chair.

Cao Da originally served the late emperor.

She didn't have much contact with him at first, and she only started to have formal contact with him after Qi'er left.

At first, the late emperor was dissatisfied with Qi'er's disobedience in the court, so he planned to make that bastard Lin and the little beast they gave birth to the crown prince, in order to depose Qi'er's position as the crown prince.

Naturally she was not happy.

Not to mention that Qi'er had never done anything wrong, the fact that the late emperor was able to sit on that chair was all thanks to the Xiao family and Qi'er.

If the emperor didn't like Qi'er and felt sorry for the Xiao family, it's hard to say who would sit on the chair!

She could tolerate that the oath the late emperor made to her at his wedding was false.

She could also tolerate that bitch Lin, who was arrogant because of her favor, and jumped around in front of her all day long, relying on the favor the late emperor showed her.

But she could never tolerate Qi'er being abandoned!

Her son was kind, benevolent, and virtuous. Who among the officials in the court did not praise him?

But she didn't expect that when she was gathering the court officials to speak for Qi'er, her Qi'er died.

Although the imperial physician said that Qi'er died of depression, she privately found out that it was that bastard Lin who had someone drug Qi'er, which led to Qi'er's early death!

She asked the late emperor to punish Lin.

However, the late emperor simply demoted Lin's position and locked her up in her own palace to reflect on her mistakes.

It is better to say that it is protection than reflection.

She knew that the late emperor was unreliable, so she distanced herself from him completely.

She knew Cao Da's ambition, so she contacted Cao Da privately. Later, when the previous emperor died and a group of princes rebelled, she led people to suppress and purge them, and then supported the sixth prince, who was the least likely to ascend the throne, to ascend the throne.

Later.

She was the queen mother and ruled the country from behind the curtain.

This also allowed Cao Da to take the position of Silijian as he wished, and let him be in charge of the affairs of the inner court.

These years.

Her cooperation with Cao Da has always been good.

Cao Da established the East and West Factories and reactivated the Jinyi Guard to ensure that she could know the movements of officials and people outside the palace even when she was in the palace.

She rarely interfered with what he did in private.

It’s just that human greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant.

Cao Da's ambition has grown over the years, and now he even dares to plot against her.

This is something Xiao Jin could not tolerate.

"Her Majesty the Queen Mother."

Cao Da came over.

He stopped beside the sedan chair and greeted Empress Dowager Zhaoyu with a smile.

Only then did Empress Dowager Zhaoyu open her eyes.

She lowered her eyes and looked at Cao Da who was standing beside the sedan chair.

"Why, the Imperial Household Department is not busy today, so you have time to come and say hello to me?" Empress Dowager Zhaoyu supported her forehead with her hand, looking at Cao Da beside her with a smile.

"What is the Queen Mother saying?"

Cao Da smiled and said, "If you want to see me, I will go to Shoukang Palace every day to greet you."

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was too lazy to play along with him, so she turned her head back and said with her eyes lowered, while picking up the beads on her wrist: "Okay, tell me why you're here."

"I don't have anything to do, I just want to ask the Queen Mother if the Princess knows..."

The words are not finished yet.

Cao Da saw a sharp gaze cast towards him from above his head.

"Don't be angry. I am thinking of you. Your Majesty is getting older. I can still control him now. If a few years pass or someone else becomes your supporter, then this place will not be yours to decide."

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu naturally knew it.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have tolerated Cao Da's arrogance again and again!

But knowing is one thing—

Empress Dowager Zhaoyu lowered her voice and warned Cao Da: "I have told you not to have any ideas about Jiashun."

"Jiashun knows nothing, and I will not let her get involved in these matters."

After all, it's not time for a real falling out yet.

After giving the warning, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu remained silent for a moment and said, "I have already arranged for the people. If there is really any problem with the boy from the Xie family, someone will naturally come to report to me."

Cao Da knew in her heart that it was impossible for her to really do nothing.

Just as he was about to say yes with a smile, he heard another voice coming from above him: "Cao Da, I never care about your business, nor do I care about any grudges between you and that kid from the Xie family."

"But there is one thing you have to understand——"

"If you dare to hurt Jiashun, I will never let you off easily. Do you understand?"

The smile on Cao Da's face froze slightly.

But it was only a moment, and he whispered yes.

When Empress Dowager Zhaoyu saw that he agreed, she was too lazy to say anything more to him.

She retracted her gaze, closed her eyes again, and raised her hands.

Dan Feng knew what she meant and hurriedly asked people to move forward.

*

Xu Duanyi didn't know what was going on in the palace.

After leaving the palace, she and Xie Qingya walked out along the Donghua Gate, passing through the largest, busiest and most prosperous streets in Kyoto, receiving congratulations from the people. When it gradually got dark, the procession returned to the Nan'an Palace.

There are no elders in charge of the Nan'an Palace now.

Therefore, Xu Duanyi and Xie Qingya did not need to pay homage to their parents or heaven and earth, but instead moved directly into the new house and continued with the subsequent procedures.

In the new house.

The red candles are shining brightly.

The bridesmaid sent from the palace had already been waiting with her companions.

Some relatives and friends who had a close relationship with the two were waiting in the house.

Most of them were Xu Duanyi's relatives and friends, and there were also some clan members who, although not very close to Xie Qingya now, could be considered brothers in terms of seniority, or who were older and of the same generation as Xie Qingya's mother, the Grand Princess Liu Yi.

Xie Pingan and Xie Changning were not there, and no one knew why.

"Your Highness and Princess, please sit together. We still have a few rules to go through." The bridesmaid spoke first with a smile.

Xu Duanyi and Xie Qingya sat in one place.

The room was bustling with activity. Although Xu Duanyi was still holding a round fan and had not shown up, she felt somewhat nervous.

The bridesmaid walked up to them and continued the ceremony.

First, spread the account.

They don't need to do anything for this. They just need to sit there and let the bridesmaids sing the song of scattering the tent while they hold peanuts, red dates and grains that symbolize "happiness, many children and blessings" and gently scatter them on their bodies and beds.

When the tent is spread out, the fan will be blown away.

The groom asks his bride to move the fan away.

This is what we call fan poetry.

This is done to test the groom's literary talent and also to let the bride see his sincerity.

Xu Duanyi felt a little nervous when he heard about this ceremony.

She wasn't worried that Xie Qingya wouldn't be able to do it.

At first, he was his cousin's companion and studied with Qu Yuanfu. Although his literary talent was not as good as his cousin's, he was still outstanding among the princes.

But he has never liked reading.

For this reason, Qu Yuanfu sighed many times, always saying that Xie Qingya was a good seedling but he just didn't know how to learn well.

It is not difficult to ask Xie Qingya to write a poem... What Xu Duanyi is worried about is whether he is willing to do so.

They haven't spoken to each other since they were in the palace.

The bridesmaids all came from the palace, and they had to go back and report the news to their aunt. Xu Duanyi was afraid...

But her worries did not last long before she heard Xie Qingya's voice.

"But I saw a beautiful woman..."

Xie Qingya spoke.

His voice was not very loud, but Xu Duanyi was sitting next to him, so he could hear it clearly.

Every word.

It reached Xu Duanyi's ears effortlessly.

At first, she was grateful that Qingya was willing to speak, so she gently loosened her hands, which had been tightly holding the fan due to nervousness.

But after understanding his poem, she couldn't help but grasp the handle of the fan.

"…Love is entangled with each other and the moon is beautiful together."

This is Xie Qingya's last sentence.

Xu Duanyi did not notice the look that Xie Qingya cast over her at that moment, and she murmured softly in her heart.

But there was also a moment when she couldn't help but want to look up and see Xie Qingya beside her.

But she hadn't had time to execute her subconscious action.

Then the bridesmaid who was waiting on the side smiled and said, "What do you think, Princess? If you think it's not good, let the prince continue."

However, the fan will not end until the bride is satisfied.

Xu Duanyi finally came to his senses at this moment from his initial shock.

She laughed in her heart at her own absent-mindedness and the thoughts that came to her mind at that moment.

This is just a wedding ceremony.

No one knows whether he wrote the poem or not.

Even if he did it, what does it represent?

She was really confused.

"alright."

She responded softly.

I was still a little nervous, after all, it was the first time in my life.

But the journey must continue.

Xu Duanyi didn't want to waste time either.

The fan slowly moved away from her eyes, and finally stopped on her knees. Xu Duanyi still kept her eyes closed and never raised her head.

The light from the dragon and phoenix candles on both sides reflected on her body.

Her soft cheeks, illuminated by the warm light, seemed to radiate a jade-like luster.

The bridal chamber was the first to become lively, with a group of people laughing and saying, "The bride has shown up!"

Some children even clapped their hands and said, "What a beautiful bride!"

Xie Qingya had been looking straight ahead.

At this moment, he was confused by the sound in the bridal chamber and couldn't help but look to his side.

This was the first time he saw her putting on makeup.

The gentle face in my memory actually looked a bit more charming after putting on makeup.

Her cheeks were a little red.

But I don't know whether it is blushing or rouge.

Xie Qingya looked at that place and suddenly felt his fingers itchy. The emotions in his eyes were all hidden behind his thick eyelashes.

Xie Qingya's fingertips moved slightly.

His dark and deep gaze fell on Xu Duanyi's cheek, and he raised his fingers slightly, as if he wanted to test and prove what it was.