These procedures had been taught to Ren Yaoqi by someone earlier, so everything went smoothly.
After paying homage to the ancestors, Xiao Jingxi took Ren Yaoqi to the Qingzheng Hall, where the prince and princess were already waiting.
What followed was another series of complicated and lengthy rituals. Ren Yaoqi almost lost count of how many times she had been guided to bow. Fortunately, Xiao Jingxi was always by her side to support her. Even so, when the etiquette officer finally announced the end of the ceremony, Ren Yaoqi almost couldn't stand up.
The princess and the prince said a few words of blessing at the top, and then Ren Yaoqi was led by Xiao Jingxi to their new home.
After entering the new house, although there are still many rules and rituals, there is finally no need to kneel three times and kowtow nine times.
Xiao Jingxi took a thin scale and lifted up Ren Yaoqi's red veil. The sudden light and the handsome face in front of him made Ren Yaoqi dazzled. She blinked before she got used to it.
Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi with a smile, and only when the etiquette nanny beside him reminded them that there were still some etiquette to be completed did he look away and pull Ren Yaoqi up.
The beams and lacquerware of the new house were painted red, silver, tung oil, and gilded, giving it a festive and magnificent look. Beneath the west window stood a pearwood table, on which were placed dishes such as bowls, bamboo baskets, gui (tramplings), baskets, and sacrificial vessels.
The etiquette nanny had the couple sit opposite each other, chanting something as she guided them toward the food on the table. This was also a ritual of worship, meant to pay respect to the gods of heaven and earth and their ancestors, and also signified that the newlyweds would eat from the same table from now on.
After the worship ceremony, the "Hexi Ceremony" began. Xiao Jingxi picked up slices of the meat and ate them, then passed another piece to Ren Yaoqi, who also ate it. This was called "Tonglao." The etiquette nanny handed a split gourd to each of them, then poured wine into the same wine glass. The two then poured the wine into the same wine glass and drank from it together. This was called "Hexi."
After drinking the wedding wine, the ceremony was finally completed.
Xiao Jingxi gave an order, and all the maids in the room retreated in an orderly manner. Before Ren Yaoqi could react, all the idle people who had just crowded the entire east room had left. In an instant, she and Xiao Jingxi were the only ones left in this world.
Ren Yaoqi blinked and looked up at Xiao Jingxi, feeling a little nervous. Xiao Jingxi pulled her to the bed and sat down, then leaned towards her. Ren Yaoqi was startled. She was hesitating whether to dodge, but she found that Xiao Jingxi was just leaning over to help her take off the phoenix crown on her head.
Ren Yaoqi blushed. She thought she must have been influenced by the booklet she read last night, which was why she had so many messy thoughts. It was still early and Xiao Jingxi still had to go out to meet guests.
Xiao Jingxi looked at her blushing face with interest, and asked in a teasing voice, "What are you thinking about?"
Ren Yaoqi bit her lip and lowered her eyes: "No... the phoenix crown on my head is very heavy."
Xiao Jingxi chuckled, and without exposing her, he carefully took off the phoenix crown on her head, which was about six or seven inches high, and put it aside.
As soon as the crown was taken off, Ren Yaoqi suddenly felt his head become lighter, and he had an inexplicable feeling of dizziness and lightheadedness.
"Do you want to change your wedding dress?" Xiao Jingxi leaned close to Ren Yaoqi's ear and asked in a low voice.
A tingling electric current flowed through Ren Yaoqi's ear and across half of her body. Perhaps it was because Xiao Jingxi was too close, and the low tone of his voice was different from usual, which made this already somewhat suggestive sentence sound even more blushing and heart-pounding.
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