Chapter 399 The Most Beautiful Bride
Princess Nan Zhao Zhaoning got married. From the tenth day on, the whole city of Jiangdu was immersed in a sea of red silk and joy.
In order to get his only daughter married, Southern Emperor Xie Zhen issued a general amnesty. All prisoners except those with serious criminal charges were pardoned. People burned incense and kowtowed along the streets, and cheers stretched from Suzaku Street all the way to the imperial city.
As early as half a year ago, the Southern Emperor had built a mansion for Princess Zhaoning. He had originally intended to give it to his daughter and her family to live in after he found a prince consort. Now that it was in use, he decorated it directly and turned it into a new house.
The regent of the Tianqi era, Xiao Nanyan, spent a huge sum of money to decorate the long streets of Jiangdu with red decorations for ten miles.
The twelve-mile road from Princess Zhaoning's residence to the main gate of the imperial palace was paved with red felt. There was a palace lantern every three feet on both sides, and flower balls made of colorful silk hung in the shadows of the lanterns. When the wind blew, the whole city was filled with the rustling sound of silk.
The 128 accompanying betrothal gifts were escorted by Tianqi's personal soldiers and carried box by box from the Jingping Posthouse to the Tianqi Imperial Palace.
The most eye-catching thing is the eight-man sedan chair, which is inlaid with South pearls and gems. It sparkles in the sun and is very luxurious.
As soon as the auspicious time of March 16 arrived, the area near the Jiangdu Imperial Palace was filled with the sound of drums and music, and was already packed with people.
Inside Zhaohua Palace, the morning light shines through the carved window lattices and falls on the dressing table covered with a phoenix-patterned brocade mattress.
Nan Hou Jiang Qingyue personally took the peach wood comb, ran her fingertips through Xi Yan's long black hair, and said softly:
"Tian'er, let your mother comb your hair."
She divided her daughter's black hair into three strands and gently tied them up. When she combed the first strand to the end, she whispered:
"Combing from head to toe, the love between husband and wife will last forever."
The peach wood comb brushes through the hair, bringing out a faint floral scent;
The second time he combed his hair over his temples, he recited again:
"Combing twice to the end will bring you many descendants and a prosperous family."
The hair gradually descends into a rounded bun;
Comb the last time and insert the phoenix hairpin firmly:
"Comb your hair three times to the end, and you will grow old together."
That filigree inlaid hairpin was the betrothal gift Xie Zhen had given her, and now he was giving it to his daughter.
The phoenix eyes on the hairpin are inlaid with pearls, emitting a warm light in the morning light.
"Mother..."
Xiyan looked at the figures of mother and daughter leaning on each other in the bronze mirror, and her throat suddenly tightened.
She had just met Queen Nan and had never imagined that she would have to leave her father and brother so soon. Her heart was filled with reluctance and tears fell silently.
Jiang Qingyue put down the comb, turned around, held her daughter's hand, and comforted her softly:
"Silly child, why are you crying? You are already a mother."
She wiped away the tears from her daughter's eyes, but her own eyes reddened first:
"Mother knows you are reluctant to let go, but a girl should get married when she grows up. Finding someone who truly loves you is better than anything else."
Xiyan bit her lip, but tears fell like beads from a broken string.
Jiang Qingyue smiled. "Tian'er, your mother has seen through that young man, Xiao Nanyan. He dared to swear in front of the entire court that he would not take a concubine. He also offered to accompany you back home to visit your parents every year. This kind of heart cannot be faked."
She sighed softly:
"Besides, he is Yin'er's biological father. We can't keep separating them."
Jiang Qingyue touched her daughter's cheek:
"If you can let go of the past grudges, then let them go. In this life, there are always times when people cannot see through their own hearts. Mother thinks that Xiao Nanyan should have seen clearly. From now on, the harmony and happiness of your family of three is more important than anything else."
Xiyan looked at her red eyes in the bronze mirror and nodded slightly:
"Mother, I understand."
Jiang Qingyue knew her daughter still had a lingering resentment in her heart. This kind of thing would require Xiao Nanyan's sincere care to heal in the future, and as a mother, she didn't want to force her daughter to accept it.
She picked up the rouge and gently touched Xiyan's lips:
"Our Yan'er is the most beautiful bride today."
In the bronze mirror, Xiyan's face was dyed crimson by rouge, and the phoenix hairpin sparkled in her hair, reflecting her stunning beauty, even making the morning light outside the window lose its color.
She heard the sound of ritual music outside the hall, and she knew that the auspicious time was approaching.
Nichang and Dieyu gently put on her wedding dress. It was a skirt embroidered with twelve panels of golden phoenix tails. The hem of the skirt dragged on the ground. It was embroidered with pictures of hundreds of children and grandchildren, like spreading clouds.
When she put on the Nine Phoenix Rising Sun Crown, Xiyan became even more breathtakingly beautiful.
On the crown were nine golden phoenixes, each holding a pearl in its mouth and holding a tassel at its tail. The red tassels hanging down to her shoulders swayed gently with her movements. The sapphires inlaid on the edge of the phoenix crown were like stars in the night sky, making her already fair neck even more radiant.
Looking at her daughter in front of her, she looked like a fairy from the sky walking out of a painting. She had the grace and elegance of a royal princess, as well as the shyness and gentleness of a girl waiting to be married. Queen Nan nodded in admiration, but she felt indescribable sadness in her heart.
Xie Zhen was standing outside the hall, on the steps, secretly looking at his incredibly beautiful daughter through the half-open door. Suddenly, he turned his face away and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
At this time, Queen Nan reached back and took out a red veil from the tray.
The veil was made of the finest brocade, and its edges were decorated with fine pearl tassels. Just as she was about to let it fall gently, a slight "creaking" sound suddenly came from the window, and a figure floated down into the hall.
Then, a silver bell-like laughter sounded:
"Xiyan, don't worry, your bridesmaid is here."
Xiyan and Queen Nan were both startled. They stopped what they were doing and turned around to look.
After seeing the person's face clearly, the mother and daughter looked at each other, their eyes wide open, staring at this beautiful woman who had disappeared for two months, and said in unison:
"Manluo?"
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