Chapter 124 The emperor serves as a ceremonial officer, and his mother is granted an imperial decree!
"Wedding ceremony officer?"
Xie Yao asked directly, "Is it Lord He?"
Xiao Yizi: "Lord He is just one of them."
There were two wedding officials.
One is the Minister of Rites He Yu, and the other...
Xiao Yizi stood up straight, his eyes looking far away.
Three hundred imperial guards, clad in golden armor and holding long spears, marched forward in neat rows, like clanging golden clouds in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The palace guards exude a fierce military aura, while these three hundred soldiers in golden armor are clad in shinning armor. They are the imperial guards who protect the palace and the emperor.
Su Huai'en, the Tiger Guard General, also in golden armor, rode on his warhorse, commanding the imperial guards. He solemnly clasped his fists to King Jingbei and said, "Greetings, King Jingbei!"
He was able to come and present the young general with his wedding gift thanks to the prince.
Xie Yao, sitting in the bridal sedan, recognized the voices of the imperial guards and Su Huai'en, and her voice was filled with joy: "The other ceremonial officer, is it Old Su?"
Lao Su always regarded himself as her brother and her comrade in the army. She was very happy that he came.
Xiao Yizi heard the joy in her tone and the corners of his lips rose slightly.
While the Xu family was still scattering money, he took advantage of the situation and quietly picked up a copper coin that fell on the saddle, held it in his palm, and hid it in the sachet around his waist.
Then he said, "Here I come."
Three hundred imperial guards led the way, and behind them, a bright yellow dragon chariot, pulled by twelve snow-white horses, moved towards the sedan chair procession.
"The Golden Armored Guards, they are the royal guards, why are they here?"
"When the prince sent his betrothal gift to the Xie family, he also had a team of imperial guards. They were only a dozen people, but they were extremely impressive. Now... there must be two or three hundred people!"
"Dragon chariot, Your Majesty, it is Your Majesty who has come in person!"
The money rain finally stopped, and the people on the street saw the dragon chariot parked at the end of the street and hurriedly knelt down.
"The Emperor has arrived—"
The shrill voice unique to the eunuchs in the palace sounded.
Two eunuchs lifted the pearl curtain, and the current emperor Li Jing, dressed in a dragon robe and casual clothes, walked out slowly.
He is the same age as King Jingbei, handsome, young and majestic.
Looking at the sedan chair with thirty-two bearers, the emperor said in a clear voice: "Ruhui is my right-hand man. Today he is marrying the daughter of the Xie family. I am here to serve as the ceremonial officer."
Many common people and merchants all knelt on the ground.
Ordinary people may not be able to see the emperor once in their entire lives.
And today, the emperor actually left the palace openly and came to East Street to serve as the ceremonial officer of King Jingbei!
There is no other such honor in the whole world.
"I wish the King of Jingbei and the Princess a happy marriage!" Three hundred imperial guards shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.
Following behind were several officials from the Ministry of Rites wearing official robes.
Seeing Prince Jingbei on horseback, the Emperor glanced at his legs dangling from the stirrups and said with a smile, "Since Ruhui is not feeling well, there is no need to dismount and salute me."
The bridesmaid who followed the bridal sedan had never seen such a scene before. She panicked and came to the side of the sedan and whispered, "Princess, the emperor is here in person. You must get out of the sedan to greet him."
Just as Xie Yao stretched out her hand, Xiao Yizi's clear and crisp voice came from outside: "No need."
There are only two simple words, but they make people feel at ease for some reason.
He hadn't even seen the bride's true face at his wedding to Xie Yao, so there was no reason for him to let others see it.
Even the emperor can't do that.
Then, Xiao Yizi raised his eyes and said calmly and directly: "Where is my other ceremonial officer?"
The emperor did not care that Xie Yao did not get out of the bridal sedan. He was even used to his frankness and recalled the scene a few days ago.
That was Ruhui's fourth time entering the palace within a month.
The number of times he had entered the palace in the previous two years did not exceed this month.
"For my wedding, in addition to asking the emperor and Minister He to be my wedding officials, I also want to ask for a favor for the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion." Xiao Yizi said while sitting in a wheelchair.
The emperor was reviewing memorials. Upon hearing this, he stopped writing with the red pen in his hand.
Back then, when Xiao Yizi helped him ascend the throne, he never asked for help amidst the blazing swords and sabers, but now he actually spoke up for the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion.
This tone was exactly the same as the one Old Lady Xiao used when she came to the palace and begged him to arrange a marriage for her grandson.
He remembered the secret report from Zhang Qingcai's Imperial Eagle Division that the Earl of Wenchang was planning to murder his consort, Princess Jingbei, on Qifeng Mountain, and that she was a member of the Queen Mother's faction.
If Xiao Yizi also helps Xie Ming'an, the Queen Mother's party will probably become even more rampant.
"Oh?" The emperor still had a smile on his face, but his eyes had turned cold. "Do you want to promote Ruhui to the rank of Wenchang Bo? Although his talent is mediocre, I agree for your sake."
"It has nothing to do with him."
Xiao Yizi's eyes were calm as he said, "What I seek is another decree."
As his thoughts returned, the emperor smiled meaningfully, "Ruhui is truly anxious."
"I have already sent that servant, Zhang Qingcai, to go with He Yu to the Wenchang Marquis's residence, bringing the imperial edict. I will confer upon the Jingbei Princess's mother, Xu, the title of Second Rank Imperial Consort, and award her with twelve oriental pearls, twenty pieces of cloud brocade, and one hundred taels of gold, all for her personally."
That day, Xiao Yizi ignored Wenchang Bo, but asked for an imperial decree of grace for Wenchang Bo's wife, Xu, and specifically said that it would only be given to Xu personally.
Of course the emperor was happy to agree.
Xiao Yizi then lowered his eyes and said, "I thank the emperor for his kindness."
The previous betrothal gifts represented the Xiao family's regard for Xie Yao and the dignity of the palace.
Asking for an imperial decree for her mother was his personal "bride price" to her.
Inside the sedan chair, Xie Yao was slightly dazed.
Being a second-rank imperial lady is no ordinary honor.
His mother had not received any imperial decree before, so Xie Mingan could not ask for one for her.
Although Old Lady Xie was the mother of an earl and only a third-rank lady, she dared to wear a phoenix robe from time to time and show off her seniority and power among the noble ladies in the capital.
Now, my mother's rank is higher than that of Old Lady Xie, and she has become the most noble woman in the Earl's Mansion. No one dares to say that she is a "clay sculpture of the Earl's wife" anymore.
From now on, even if my mother sold all the concubines in the uncle's mansion, including Aunt Sun, no one would dare to say a word against it.
Through the gap in the car curtain, Xie Yao looked at Xiao Yizi's handsome profile and felt grateful in her heart.
However, thinking of her plans for tonight, she frowned again.
The Emperor sent Lord He and Eunuch Qing to the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion to convey his imperial edict, and he will definitely stay at the Marquis's Mansion for a banquet.
I don’t know what impact this incident will have on my plans.
The emperor said to Su Huai'en beside him, "General Su, you will lead these 300 imperial guards to serve as the ceremonial guard for the Jingbei Prince's wedding. Then, please go to the Jingbei Prince's Mansion and ask for a glass of wedding wine on my behalf."
"I obey your order." Su Huai'en got off his horse and said loudly.
After the dragon chariot left, he walked to the sedan chair.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was prepared, Su Huai'en lowered his voice to the curtain of the sedan chair: "It was the prince who mentioned me in front of the emperor, so I was able to lead the imperial guards here today."
Xie Yao's heart moved. It seemed that Xiao Yizi had guessed something.
Su Huai'en cleared his throat again and said solemnly: "General, I wish the young general a happy wedding."
She responded from the sedan chair: "Lao Su, you should have a few more drinks later."
"I will not only drink for myself, but also for the general and the other generals of the border army. Tonight, I will not return home until I am drunk."
Su Huai'en grinned, touched his waist, and found the festive sachet that his wife had sewn for him and tied specially for today, then reined in his horse and returned to the team.
He drank the wine at the major general's wedding. If those soldiers from the northern border knew about this, they would surely envy him to death.
He looked towards the northern border again and murmured: The young general is getting married today, the general will definitely be happy for her!
Xiao Yizi deliberately moved away to make it easier for the two of them to talk.
Seeing Su Huai'en leave with a smile, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips.
Three hundred imperial guards and three hundred royal guards protected the bridal sedan as it continued on its journey.
In front is the Jingbei Prince's Palace.
In the sedan chair on the street, Xie Zhi lifted a corner of the curtain.
The dazzling ceremonial procession stung her eyes, making her grit her teeth in hatred and her expression becoming even uglier.
"Miss, the house in front is the one prepared for you by the Marquis' Mansion." The voice of the sedan chair bearer came.
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