In Prince Han’s mansion, red lanterns were hung high, red silks fluttered gently along the way, and the sound of joy never ceased.
After Li Guanghan dismounted, he walked straight into the palace without waiting for Qiao Si. The people around him were confused and began to speculate in low voices.
Jingzhu was the first to walk to the sedan chair and gently asked Qiao Si to get out. Qiao Si was dressed in wedding clothes and moved lightly with lotus steps. At the matchmaker's loud call to save the situation, she lifted the curtain and stepped out of the sedan chair.
The fair hand rested on Jingzhu's hand, and Qiao Si followed Jingzhu across the brazier and stepped into Prince Qiao's Mansion.
Zhang You and the others fell behind by one step, keeping some distance from Qiao Si.
When I approached the palace, I found that Li Guanghan was parked in front.
In other words, he was stopped there by Wei Nian and waited for Qiao Si to come over.
The guests around were all prominent figures, and Li Guanghan, for the sake of face, did not spoil the fun. He waited until Qiao Si came up to him before accepting the red silk handed to him by Jing Zhu. Qiao Si and he, both holding one end, walked towards the lobby.
The only person present in the hall was Li Guanghan's mother, Concubine Rou. Born into a family of minor officials, she was granted the title of Concubine Rou simply for giving birth to the prince. The emperor wouldn't leave the palace to attend Li Guanghan's wedding, but Concubine Rou would.
Concubine Rou had a gentle and kind nature, and she didn't fight or compete, which was why she and her son had always lived in peace. She also knew about the affair between her son and Imperial Tutor Yao's daughter, and she had been pessimistic about their relationship since then.
She has been able to survive in the cruel harem for so long, so she is certainly not a concubine who knows nothing. She sees clearly what is happening in the court.
Yao Yushu was either the Crown Princess or a concubine. How could the future emperor allow a woman of marriageable age who could be of assistance to marry someone else? The noble ladies of the imperial family in the capital would all become the Crown Prince's concubines in the future.
Concubine Rou knew that her son had no interest in state affairs. If he had the power to compete with the prince, she would not object to him marrying Yao Yusu. But he had nothing, so how could he win if he wanted to compete with the prince for someone?
As for Qiao Si, Concubine Rou didn't have much of a dislike for her. It wasn't just that Qiao Si admired Li Guanghan, but also because the Qiao Palace was now completely safe, free of any fears. Qiao Si held the title of Princess, which meant she had status without bringing danger. Therefore, she had no dislike for Qiao Si.
The couple walked gracefully into the hall and stopped in front of Concubine Rou. At the loud shout of the ceremonial officer, the wedding ceremony began.
"Bow to Heaven and Earth!"
They turned outside the hall and bowed to the sky.
"Bow to your parents twice!"
They turned back and bowed to Concubine Rou who was sitting in the hall.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
The two bowed to each other and became husband and wife.
"The ceremony is over! Send her to the bridal chamber!"
Supported by Jingzhu, Qiao Si followed Jinfu to the bridal chamber.
Li Guanghan did not follow and entertained guests in the lobby.
In the bridal chamber, Jingzhu dismissed the other maids and left them alone to guard it.
Qiao Si sat quietly on the marital bed. Since there was no one in the room, they approached Qiao Si and whispered, "Princess, are you hungry? Why don't you eat something to fill your stomach? This will take a long time."
"Yes, we've been busy for most of the day, and the princess hasn't had a single drop of water."
"Huh? This is all wine, no tea?" Qiuyue wanted to pour tea for Qiao Si, but found that there was only wine on the table.
"I'll go get some tea and pastries." Qiuyue said to them, then opened the door and left.
"Forget it, just help me unload these things." Qiao Si raised his hand and casually lifted the red veil, saying tiredly.
"Hey, princess? Why did you take off the veil?" Dongmei raised her hand to stop Qiao Si, but her movements were too quick and she missed.
"He won't come tonight." Qiao Si said firmly.
"Princess, you still have to pretend. What if the prince comes and finds you've already taken it down? He'll get suspicious, right?" Zhang You helped her relax her shoulders, taking some of the weight off her head. "Let me massage it for you."
This phoenix crown is beautiful, but it is too heavy.
Chunhua also joined in and helped Qiao Si's shoulders. Qiao Si's impatient expression finally eased a little.
Qiuyue came back soon. When she went to the kitchen, she also looked at the front yard. Li Guanghan was drinking with the guests and it seemed that he would not come until dark.
The wedding dress had three layers inside and three layers outside, and was tied tightly. Qiao Si ate two bites of cakes and put it down.
Qiao Si sighed helplessly, feeling the weight on her head, so she leaned against the bed to relieve some of the pressure. It was a bit boring to stay like this all the time, and she was exhausted from getting ready early this morning. She leaned against the bed like this, and actually fell asleep.
After Jingzhu found out, she asked them to speak in a quiet manner so as not to wake her up, and she moved the charcoal brazier closer to Qiao Si to prevent her from catching a cold.
As the sky darkened, the noise outside gradually died down.
Red candles were already lit in the room, a very festive candlelight, but everyone in the room was very quiet, which made it seem strange.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Li Guanghan stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. He was in a bad mood today and had a few too many drinks. The alcohol got to him, and he thought of Qiao Si in the bridal chamber, so he pushed the door open aggressively.
Jin Fu Jin Lu hurriedly tried to support him from behind, but he was rudely waved away by his sleeves.
"Don't help me!"
Qiao Si was woken up, and the moment she opened her eyes, she was already sitting upright. Zhang You and the others hurriedly stood in front of her, but Dongmei quickly covered her with a red veil so that she was not exposed.
"Why didn't the prince knock on the door? It's really scary to be so jumpy." Jingzhu took a step forward, moved closer to Li Guanghan, and said in a cold voice.
Li Guanghan raised his head and looked at her with anger in his eyes. He staggered to the table and said angrily, "This is my territory. I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want!"
Jingzhu was angry but dared not speak out. As a maid, she couldn't say anything too much.
Qiao Si was the first to speak. As soon as she spoke, Zhang You and the others tactfully stepped aside, leaving the two of them to stare at each other. "Your Highness, what are you saying? You and I are husband and wife, and we are one. You should respect me."
Her voice was cold and clear, as if she was trying to reason with him. But to Li Guanghan, it sounded like she was showing off.
Li Guanghan's drunken eyes suddenly cleared up for a moment, and he slammed the table so hard that the cakes and wine glasses on the table were shaken away.
"You are worthy!" Li Guanghan roared in a furious voice, staggered and walked quickly towards Qiao Si, raised his hand and violently lifted her veil.
"Qiao Xiting! Don't think that you will get what you want just by marrying me! Let me tell you! Your status in Prince Han's Mansion is even lower than that of the lowest servant!" Li Guanghan pinched Qiao Si's slender neck fiercely, pressed her down on the bed, and spoke cruelly.
"Princess!"
"Your Majesty!"
Anxious voices rang out at the same time.
Jingzhu and Dongmei were closer and were the first to push away Li Guanghan who was pressing on Qiao Si.
"What is your Highness doing? Are you going to murder your newlywed wife?" Jingzhu questioned him with a completely cold face.
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