Chapter 41 The Night of the Wedding Ceremony (Part 2) "This little queen is too obedient to Qin..."
Back at the Qin Palace, the wedding ceremony officially began. There were no men in the main hall; only Empress Dowager Zhao Ji Changyue, Empress Dowager Huayang, and Empress Dowager Xia were present.
The newlyweds only need to bow slightly to them; their destination is Zhaoyang Palace.
The gown was heavy, and Ying Zheng supported her almost the entire way, worried that she might be nervous or stumble and fall.
"The crown is so heavy, cousin." The two were close together, and Banban couldn't help but complain to him in a low voice.
Ying Zheng knew his cousin's character and said, "This crown, worth ten thousand gold pieces, is the only one of its kind in the world. I commissioned the most famous scholars in the land to make it two years ago, and your name is engraved inside."
"It's not heavy anymore." You should have said so earlier.
"..." He chuckled softly and gently squeezed her fingers.
She immediately pinched his as well, and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?" She thought he had something to say.
His voice was very soft, very soft, “It’s nothing, I’m just very happy.”
“I’m happy too, cousin. From today onwards, I am your wife.”
My cousin's voice was exceptionally cheerful, brimming with unbridled joy, like a bee that had fallen into a honey pot, wagging its tail excitedly.
Ying Zheng gently patted the back of her hand. Not only today, but many years ago he had always thought so in his heart.
She walked up the thousand-step platform and across the red carpet to the solemn Zhaoyang Palace. She separated herself from her cousin slightly. The entire palace was decorated in vermilion and dark red, so grand that she was a little intimidated at first glance. The vermilion silk cloth above her head billowed and rippled slightly in the wind outside the palace.
Banban wore a bright red shawl with a long hem, embroidered with huge golden phoenixes and black birds.
As she and her cousin passed each golden lantern, the civil and military officials on both sides bowed in greeting. When they passed the last golden lantern, she spread her wide sleeves, clasped her hands slightly in front of her abdomen, and the officials knelt to welcome her.
In the past, when a king got married, he only needed to stand on a high platform to receive his queen. However, Ying Zheng personally accompanied his queen on this journey.
Next, the king and queen shared a meal of three sacrificial animals: roasted beef, mutton, and pork, all gleaming golden brown, which the palace servants had already sliced up.
Banban picked up a small piece of mutton, covered it with her sleeve, and put it in her mouth. A strong, pungent smell assaulted her senses, making her almost vomit.
Suddenly, a hand reached out, holding two candied fruits in its palm.
Banban's eyes lit up. He secretly glanced at his cousin, covered his mouth tightly with his sleeve, and stuffed the food into his mouth to relieve the muttony smell.
It was peach flesh. Her cousin knew she couldn't eat mutton and preferred peaches.
The fact that only three sacrificial animals were eaten symbolizes that the king and queen cared for the country and loved the people.
The rest of the meat was distributed among the officials.
The final step is to drink the nuptial wine together. The nuptial wine is made by cutting a gourd in half, making it into the shape of a ladle, and its light green color looks very fresh and tender.
But the moment she put it in her mouth, Banban tasted an indescribable bitterness, which, combined with the cool and spicy taste of the wine, made her stick out her tongue because she found it so unpleasant.
The two halves of the gourd were tied together with a red string. Ying Zheng quickly noticed this action and said, "I'll drink it for you."
"No," Banban refused. "If I can only be happy with my cousin if I drink it all, then I have to finish it." She wrinkled her face, gulped down the wine in the gourd, and swallowed it all in one breath.
He smiled and wiped the wine from the corner of her lips.
After the ceremony, the sun outside the main hall completely disappeared below the horizon, dusk ended, and night fell.
This is a wedding ceremony.
Although the characters are different, they are generally understood to mean wedding.
Her cheeks were flushed, shy yet bold, "Cousin, you look exceptionally heroic today."
Ying Zheng glanced at the empty ladle and smiled slightly, "Is this wine so strong?"
Even though his cousin was infatuated with him in the past, she would never directly praise his good looks. I don't know if it was because she didn't want to be inferior to him, or because she was proud and unwilling to admit that she was shallow.
After the wedding ceremony, all the officials held a banquet together, and Banban and Ying Zheng returned to their palace together.
An official in the palace asked in confusion, "The King is getting married, but there are no concubines?"
The person beside him shook his head. "The Queen is the only daughter in her family and has no sisters from other branches. Moreover... I heard that the King does not want concubines."
The official was filled with emotion, "The young couple have been together all their lives. The king is still young, and it's normal that he's currently only focused on doting on the queen."
The rear hall of Zhaoyang Palace is the sleeping quarters.
Banban then realized that the place was decorated like a new house, with everything looking brand new. Previously, this place had been vacant, supposedly used for sacrificial rites, and no Qin king or queen had ever lived here.
After the woman was led into the bridal chamber, all the palace servants vanished without a trace, and the palace doors were tightly shut.
Banban was extremely nervous. Her cousin helped her remove the crown. This expensively crafted phoenix crown exuded understated luxury. When she looked inside, she saw that her name was indeed engraved on the inside: Ji Chengyin.
This was followed by three smaller characters: Husband Ying Zheng
"I like this." She was delighted and kept stroking it, then took the initiative to help her cousin remove the crown.
Ying□□ first cooperation.
Oh no, I'm getting nervous again when I meet my cousin's eyes.
"Why, why isn't the sleeping quarters located in Zhaoxin Palace? Isn't that where the King of Qin resides?" Banban asked, trying to find something to say, otherwise she would have been so flustered that she didn't know what to do, and her heart was pounding.
It seems that no queen and king of Qin ever lived in the same palace. It appears that Ying Zheng intended to reside in one place for a long time, so he chose another location.
"How can a place that others have lived in be our new home?" Ying Zheng gently stroked his cousin's cheek with his fingertips, asking, "How do we wash these stains off? With water?"
“Cousin, I don’t know how. I’ll call Congyun in.”
"I'll give it a try first."
He insisted on doing it himself.
There really are special cleaning tools, which are some slightly sticky pastes. He used them to clean his cousin's face, applying them carefully and massaging them in. After a short while, the makeup on her face dissolved automatically. Then he used rice water mixed with peach blossom juice to wash her face three times, and finally rinsed it with clean water to remove the makeup completely.
"Is it clean?" Banban couldn't see the mirror, so she could only ask her cousin.
After asking, she touched her cheek; it was dry, indicating that it had been washed clean.
"It should be clean." Ying Zheng wasn't sure either, but what he really wanted to do wasn't to wash his face, but to lean over and lift his new wife's face to kiss her.
The fresh scent of peach lingered on her lips, the dewdrops disappearing between her teeth.
Banban was kissed suddenly, but it wasn't really sudden. She had felt her cousin staring at her mouth from the moment she was kissed. She almost lost her balance, but his arm held her firmly.
This kiss was unlike any I'd ever had before.
Not meticulous at all, not gentle at all, not slow at all.
Conversely, the raging waves are like being in a stream of ocean waves, uncontrollably drifting and swaying with the sea, unable to control the direction or the force.
She bumped into something, and the items on the dressing table fell to the ground. Only then did Banban come to her senses that her cousin had lifted her up and placed her on the dressing table, with her arms around his neck, and she was being kissed as if she were trying to avoid him.
She occasionally found herself out of breath and tried to back away, but the person in front of her, as if she had tasted something delicious, continued to kiss her, again and again, unable to control himself.
She felt extremely hot, her whole body was very agitated.
Something is stirring.
With her wrists resting on the dressing table, she knocked over the bottles and jars again.
"I want to go over there." She startled herself when she spoke; her voice was so soft and weak, like a melted custard mountain, not at all cold, but rather sticky and gooey.
She was referring to the direction of the bed.
"Alright." Ying Zheng naturally had no objections, picked her up, and walked towards the innermost part of the house.
It was only then that Banban began to regret that she hadn't really learned how to take off clothes these days, especially men's clothes. She spent a long time untying his waist belt before finally pulling it off and tossing it aside, her fingers trembling slightly under her cousin's gaze.
My cousin is so tall! By her modern standards, he must be at least 1.9 meters tall, while she's just over 1.6 meters. Surrounded by his arms, she looks tiny. No wonder she feels like she can't breathe when he occasionally rolls over and presses on her during lunch break.
Even though the two of them were so close, she felt a slight pressure.
His breathing was uneven and paused. Several times he wanted to do it himself, but he didn't want to frighten her, so he had no choice but to let her do as she pleased.
As the last layer faded, his fair skin was fully revealed, and his slightly bulging muscles were very long and beautiful. Banban only had time to touch him once before he was pushed and fell onto the bed, the golden bells on his ankles making a tinkling sound.
The question, "Why are you pushing me?" was swallowed back down his throat.
"My turn?" He tilted his head slightly, pretending to think. "Where should I start?"
Banban slightly widened her eyes and glanced down. If she hadn't seen it... she would have really thought he wasn't in a hurry. That's true, her cousin was always very patient; he would get what he wanted, so he wasn't in a rush.
Rather, it's more accurate to say that he wanted to take the initiative, and he was very considerate of her feelings when he took the initiative, so it was a gradual process.
She thought for a moment, then spread her arms toward him.
Ying Zheng's fingers had just touched her collar when he was slightly surprised by her unguarded posture.
"That's quite fair, it's your turn." Banban raised her head. "This is called ordering my husband around, hurry up and help me~"
Every time a hint of romance arises, her straightforward words always manage to make it seem innocent and adorable. Yet, she is not entirely ignorant; she is simply honest with her husband, completely unguarded, and trusts and relies on him wholeheartedly.
Ying Zheng didn't wait any longer and quickly stripped the man naked.
She hadn't expected him to move so quickly, and screamed in fright, her voice quickly stopping as he bent down.
In the steamy, wet kiss, Banban persisted, seizing any opportunity to question him suspiciously, "How come you're so skilled? Tell me! Otherwise, I don't want it. Get off me, I'm uncomfortable."
"I watch you dress every day." Ying Zheng couldn't very well say that his cousin never avoided him in public. It was fine when they were young, but even as they grew up, she still did it.
His gaze gradually lost its innocence, but he couldn't show it too openly. He was a normal man, and it was impossible for him not to think about it, especially since he was facing the woman he loved. He wasn't a saint.
Where does it hurt?
"Oh, boohoo, my cousin is a bad person. I'm in pain. You only care about yourself and don't care about me at all."
"Then I'll be gentler and give you a kiss?" he coaxed patiently.
She cried pitifully, and he swallowed all her tears, kissing her earlobe, her neck, and then her lips, in a tender and affectionate kiss.
"You kissed my lips until they were numb."
He wanted to laugh but felt helpless. "It's my fault. Then kiss me back."
After a while, he asked if it still hurt.
Banban kept groaning, as if she wasn't feeling well, but at least she wasn't crying like she had just been. She touched her cousin's forehead and felt a layer of sweat on it.
Especially when the hot sweat dripped onto her neck, his face flushed slightly, and his thick eyelashes drooped, revealing an indescribable charm.
Her mouth suddenly went dry, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a couple of random kisses. "It doesn't hurt... I miss my cousin."
He took a deep breath and leaned down completely.
The golden bells rang all night long.
The King of Qin was getting married and took a three-day break.
Banban didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky. When she woke up, her whole body was sore but not uncomfortable. She was just very sleepy. Even when she moved slightly, she could still recall the cramps in her lower abdomen from the night before.
—The aftertaste lingers.
Her last memory was of her cousin carrying her to take a bath, and then they did it again in the tub.
He was incredibly wicked; he pressed himself against her from behind, guiding her hand and making her touch her lower abdomen.
What else can she touch?
My fingertips feel sore and achy, yet I can't shake it off.
She let out a long sigh, fully awake. Was this the first time her cousin had ever slept in? He hadn't even gotten up yet, his slightly closed eyes remaining calm.
His long, thick eyelashes lay obediently on his eyelids, and his chest rose and fell with a full and rhythmic movement.
With a slight movement, Banban pulled away his blanket, making the marks on his fair skin even more noticeable.
It was all left behind from her biting, nibbling, and sucking last night. She looked down to check her own, and sure enough, the two of them were almost identical.
He ate quite a lot.
Anyone who didn't know better would think they were fighting all night.
She simply leaned against him and took another short nap.
The newlyweds, in their first time making love, were so unrestrained that they became addicted and exhausted.
My cousin must be more tired... Anyway, she didn't seem to move much.
No wonder she woke up first.
However, just as she finished thinking this, Ying Zheng's eyelashes trembled slightly, and then he opened his eyes. After a few seconds of reaction, he turned his head and pulled her into his arms.
Banban asked in a low voice, "Cousin, Qin Ju said that you never allow palace servants to enter the inner palace to serve you. I suppose you're afraid of bad people. But I tried to play tricks on you several times this morning, and you didn't wake up. Are you tired?"
"...?" What's the problem?
What's the problem?
He pinched the heartless face hard. "I've always slept soundly beside you, how can you say I'm tired? I think you're too comfortable and want to come again."
"Ahhh, I don't want to! I misspoke!" she pleaded. "We still need to greet our aunt, we should get up now."
He said he wouldn't let palace servants serve him, and he really did. He dressed himself in layers upon layers of clothes, then came to his senses, carried her out, and brought out new clothes to dress her himself.
She obediently opened her arms and let him dress her.
Ying Zheng dressed her properly, gently massaged her waist, and asked her if she was comfortable and if there was anything that made her uncomfortable.
"No, not at all." Banban really didn't feel uncomfortable anywhere. Apart from some soreness and numbness, it didn't prevent her from walking. Her cousin was indeed very gentle with her.
"These pants?" He gently tugged at the sewn-up fabric.
"It's healthier to wear this. Cousin, you shouldn't wear clothes without seams anymore."
"oh."
After getting dressed, Banban called someone in to bring water for washing up. Qianyin and Congyun were already outside the hall. They were the first two to enter and were surprised to see that Banban was already dressed.
The two ate a little something to tide them over, and then set off for Ganquan Palace.
When Ji Changyue saw the two officials approaching, she teased them with a friendly look, "I thought you two didn't care about your mother and didn't come to pay your respects."
Banban hurriedly said in a coquettish tone, "Mother, aunt."
"My good child." Ji Changyue was overjoyed. "Go and see the good things your mother has chosen for you. I've been saving them up for you all morning."
Ying Zheng wasn't very good at showing concern for his mother, so he could only ask, "Did Mother sleep well last night?"
A hint of unease crossed Ji Changyue's face as she smoothed her hair at her temples. "Good, of course it's good. My son's wedding will put my mind at ease."
One of them knows what the mother does but doesn't care, while the other doesn't want her son to know, fearing he'll mind, and feels instinctively uncomfortable and guilty when her son asks her that question.
Banban was looking at the gifts, exclaiming "Wow!" from time to time, completely oblivious to the expressions on the faces of the two people.
The three of them had lunch together, and then Banban and Ying Zheng went to pay their respects to Empress Dowager Huayang.
Empress Dowager Huayang had been unusually well-behaved lately. Upon seeing the two of them, her face was filled with friendly kindness. She took Banban's hand and praised her from time to time, "You have finally become a true granddaughter-in-law. Chengyin has grown into a beautiful and charming young woman."
Banban, trying to gauge her cousin's attitude and seeing his friendly expression, changed her address to affectionately call her Grandmother.
Empress Dowager Huayang could not have missed the subtle tension between the two. She cursed inwardly that this little queen was too obedient to the King of Qin and that she was probably not easy to win over.
However, the King of Qin is still willing to show her goodwill, so there is still hope.
Thinking this through, Empress Dowager Huayang enthusiastically presented many clothes and accessories.
The last person to visit was Empress Dowager Xia.
Because of the Qin army's invasion of Han, Empress Dowager Xia has not been out much lately. Her attitude towards the two men is not very friendly, but it is far from being cold.
Judging from the general view, Empress Dowager Xia seemed to show much more respect to her cousin; her gaze was that of a true King of Qin, not a boy who could be manipulated at will.
Yang Jiang was present. After paying her respects, she even addressed Banban as "Sister-in-law of the King."
Banban could no longer go anywhere with her cousin as usual, leaving him to socialize with the elders while she ran off to play like a child. Now that she was married, she was an adult, the Queen of Qin, and one with the King of Qin.
Therefore, she stayed by her cousin's side the whole time, talking with Empress Dowager Xia.
After finally finishing his flattery, Ying Zheng instructed his cousin, "Be wary of Empress Dowager Huayang. Now that you are the Queen, people are flocking to you to curry favor. She might try to use you for something."
“I know.” Banban was dissatisfied that he still regarded her as a fool. “I am the Queen, Your Majesty, please respect me.”
"Very well." He couldn't help but chuckle. "Your Majesty the Queen is truly majestic."
"There is only one Queen in this harem. If you have any questions, just ask me. You have already learned how to manage the Qin Palace. From today onwards, I will officially hand it over to you."
Banban wasn't afraid at all; on the contrary, she was eager to get started. "I know, I know! Except for the expenses of Ganquan Palace, which my aunt can handle herself, everything else must be done according to my will!" she said arrogantly. "My cousin must also listen to me!"
Ji Changyue delegated power swiftly. Although she had ambitions, she was not power-hungry. As soon as her son got married, she handed over all the power in the palace to Banban.
"Even I will have to rely on the Queen for a living," Ying Zheng sighed deeply.
"Of course!" Banban said smugly.
As a new broom sweeps clean, she was very proactive. Aside from being overwhelmed with work for the first few days, she quickly adapted and got the hang of things.
The wailing and howling of "The Qin Palace is so big! There are so many people! There are so many positions!" gradually subsided.
Soon everyone realized that it was exceptionally easy to make a living under the new queen. She was not easily fooled, but rather she was tolerant when she needed to be lenient and strict when she needed to be strict, using both kindness and power, much like the King of Qin, but even more gentle.
However, the queen has a bad temper and is quite childish, so she needs to be coaxed.
That night.
When Ying Zheng returned, the Queen was tending to two little rabbits.
Two or three months passed, and the rabbits all grew two or three sizes larger, with the mother rabbit's belly becoming quite plump.
Banban said sullenly, "How could you get pregnant so quickly?"
Ying Zheng patiently explained, "That's how it is with rabbits. Unless it's controlled by humans, they will only give birth to litters one after another, which is also a kind of pain for the mother rabbit."
"How did my cousin know?" Banban asked, completely bewildered.
"I've read relevant medical books." Actually, he had read about female conception, and he felt that even though his cousin had reached marriageable age, she was only sixteen and not suitable for pregnancy.
Ying Zheng had read some cases and suspected that early pregnancy would affect a woman's health and increase the probability of difficult childbirth. However, the physicians at the time did not make such a claim, and it was common for many sixteen or seventeen-year-old women to become pregnant and give birth.
In the Qin Dynasty, the common age of marriage was fifteen or sixteen, and those who did not marry before the age of fifteen were fined according to the law.
He was worried that his cousin getting pregnant too early was not good, but they were husband and wife, and it was quite difficult to restrain themselves from doing that kind of thing. Besides, they were both very passionate and would get very entangled at night.
I had no choice but to look up how to prevent pregnancy in a healthy way, but these books were very miscellaneous and the related knowledge was quite novel. As I was reading, I came across some animals.
Fortunately, there was some gain. They said that the cecum of a sheep can be processed into a reusable sheep intestine sheath. It can be softened with warm water before each use and then used normally.
Reasonable and healthy contraception.
"My cousin even reads these medical books." Banban exclaimed and received a tap on the head.
She said, "Then after this litter of rabbits is born, we'll find a physician to help her... Can't she get pregnant?" She didn't know what sterilization was called in ancient times.
"No need." Ying Zheng gave her a strange look. "We can do it now. Just deal with the male rabbit."
The implication is that the mother rabbit should not be harmed.
"Huh?" Banban shook his finger and asked bluntly, "Then what if the male rabbit can't do it, and the female rabbit is lonely? How can you be so selfish, cousin?" Regardless of whether it's male or female, we should face the normal needs of small animals.
...?
Ying Zheng both loved and hated his cousin's mouth. "It's not about cutting off all of them," he said tactfully. "And even after the male rabbit is treated, it will still have normal needs and will still bully the female rabbit every day. It won't affect what you said; it just means the female rabbit won't get pregnant."
Oh, it's just a cut egg, right?
She understood.
"That male rabbit is quite..." Banban hesitated, too embarrassed to finish her sentence.
Ying Zheng playfully pinched her cheek.
Thinking about this, Banban finally understood what the entertainers at Ganquan Palace actually did. She wondered if her cousin knew. She felt like he did, but he didn't mention it.
The King of Qin doted on his Queen excessively. The Queen was curious about the auspicious bird of Qin, the Black-Red Bird, so he raised one and gave it to her.
I only realized it was a crow after raising it for a while.
"This is the Sun Bird," Ying Zheng introduced solemnly.
"Why are crows revered?" Banban found it strange. What's so beautiful about crows that are all black?
Oh, it's black. The Qin state also revered black, which is also called Xuanse (玄色).
"I've heard that crows aren't pure black, but rather that their original colors are not fully visible to the human eye."
Ying Zheng nodded. "That is the reason why it is a divine bird. Under the sun, the colors of its wings are multicolored, but if you look closely, they are still black."
"I don't think any of these are very practical." After explaining, Ying Zheng said that he didn't quite believe in them, but he didn't dismiss them outright.
"There's a kind of bird that's useful; it can talk like a human," Banban said, intrigued.
"Can speak human language?" Ying Zheng frowned deeply, clearly not believing it.
“Really, but you have to train it yourself.” Banban said, sounding like she wanted one. “It looks a bit like a crow, but smaller, with a less long, hooked beak, a round and cute head, and comes in many different colors. It’s called a parrot.”
Ying Zheng didn't think much of it. "Next year I plan to send a team out to sea. I'll have them keep an eye out for the parrots you mentioned."
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