Preparing for the wedding
Upon entering the house, Ginkgo brought over a pot of tea.
Xie Zhuo personally poured tea and pushed it in front of Fu Zhi Qiao. Seeing this, Yin Xing silently retreated, gently closed the door, and stood guard outside the door.
Fu Zhiqiao picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.
As early summer approached and the weather grew hotter, Fu Zhi Qiao changed her clothes from brocade to gauze. The thin fabric hugged her exquisite figure, and Xie Zhuo watched with envy. However, he also noticed her current exhaustion.
"Just tell your subordinates to handle business matters. Why do you have to do everything yourself?"
"We're not even married yet, and you're already trying to control me?"
Xie Zhuo said helplessly, "You know that's not what I meant."
Fu Zhi Qiao understood what Xie Zhuo meant, but she still hoped that their relationship would have boundaries, even though they were about to become husband and wife.
She wouldn't interfere with Xie Zhuo's political affiliation in the court or the families he chose to befriend. Similarly, she didn't want Xie Zhuo to interfere with her business.
Xie Zhuo took the teacup she had finished drinking from and poured her another cup of tea.
Fu Zhi Qiao took the cup, took an elegant sip of tea, and noticed that Xie Zhuo's gaze was fixed on her face. She immediately felt a little uncomfortable and looked up at him.
They stared at each other for a moment.
Xie Zhuo was a little unsure of Fu Zhi Qiao's thoughts.
When things are going well, Fu Zhi Qiao will consider everything for him. For example, when he goes to the battlefield, she worries that he won't eat well and will carefully prepare food for him.
In bad times... Xie Zhuo sighed inwardly. How could a real man hold a grudge against his future wife?
Fu Zhi Qiao felt a little guilty when she met Xie Zhuo's slightly scrutinizing gaze.
She's been incredibly busy lately, with very few opportunities to meet Xie Zhuo, but this busy period was definitely intentional on her part.
The thought of leaving her familiar home to become a wife in another family filled Fu Zhiqiao with confusion, and she even woke up in the middle of the night several times.
As the divorce date drew closer, Fu Zhiqiao felt increasingly stressed, and she even suspected that she had premarital syndrome.
She was certain she loved Xie Zhuo and was willing to marry him. At the same time, she hesitated. What would happen to Yu Roulan after she married? The two of them had relied on each other for so long; would she really leave Yu Roulan alone in this mansion?
“I plan to open a few more shops in Youzhou, Liangzhou and other places. I’ve been really busy lately,” Fu Zhiqiao explained to him.
Xie Zhuo accepted this explanation, but his expression remained serious as he asked, "A Qiao, when will you be able to completely trust me?"
Fu Zhi Qiao frowned upon hearing this, "When did I ever not trust you?"
Fu Zhi Qiao is too strong-willed; she never thinks of relying on herself. Xie Zhuo's tone carried a hint of accusation: "You never think of relying on me when you encounter difficulties, A Qiao. How do you know I won't be your support?"
"Xie Zhuo, what nonsense are you thinking?"
“I’m not thinking anything. I just want to tell you that I’m about to become your husband. You can rely on me for everything. I’m willing to share your burdens. I want to share your burdens.”
Fu Zhi Qiao's throat suddenly went dry, and she couldn't make a sound. Her heart felt like it was being gripped by something, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "I know."
Xie Zhuo seemed very bothered that he wasn't her first choice. Looking at the awkward person in front of her, and thinking about everything he had done to marry her, Fu Zhi Qiao's heart softened. She leaned close to his ear and said softly, "Don't be angry with me anymore!"
Upon suddenly hearing Fu Zhi Qiao act coquettishly, Xie Zhuo froze.
Seeing that Xie Zhuo didn't react, Fu Zhi Qiao decided to take drastic measures. She took Xie Zhuo's hand, gently pinched the tip of his index finger twice, and then brought it to her lips and kissed it lightly. "Let's not be angry anymore, okay?"
Speak softly and gently, using a combination of coaxing and enticement.
Xie Zhuo gave in and kissed her temple, "I'm not angry with you."
The two tacitly agreed not to continue the conversation on this topic.
Fu Zhiqiao then brought up the matter of having Cheng Yexuan pretend to be a livestock merchant. Xie Zhuo raised his eyebrows after listening and gave her advice: "Youzhou and Liangzhou are far away, are you really comfortable letting him make decisions?"
Fu Zhiqiao laughed: "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust."
Seeing that Xie Zhuo was still frowning, Fu Zhi Qiao explained, "I have already sent people to Youzhou to make arrangements. Cheng Ye Xuan can take up his post as soon as he arrives. The people sent there are all trained by De Fu. I will not raise a tiger to cause trouble. Don't worry!"
Since it concerned Fu Zhiqiao, Xie Zhuo dared not put his mind at ease and suggested sending two more of his trusted men to help her keep an eye on things. "Let the people from Sheng'an go and watch over you. That way, I'll feel more at ease, okay?"
Sheng An was the bodyguard Xie Zhuo had placed by her side to protect her. Fu Zhi Qiao knew their abilities, so she nodded in agreement.
*
The Fu family has been very lively lately. The mother and daughter have lived on Qintai Street for three or four years. The neighbors only recently learned that Fu Zhiqiao is a county princess and that the emperor has bestowed a marriage upon her, so they have all come to congratulate her.
"Oh my, I've long heard of a great beauty on Qintai Street. Seeing her today, she truly has the appearance of a celestial being. Her bearing is indeed worthy of being the Crown Prince's consort!"
"That's right!"
...
The mother and daughter had heard too many flattering words these past few days. Fu Zhi Qiao smiled slightly, pretending to be shy and lowering her eyes. Yu Rou Lan would continue to live here and deal with these neighbors, so maintaining friendly relations was not a bad thing.
After seeing off the neighbors who came to offer their congratulations, an even greater test was about to begin.
Because Fu Zhi Qiao was of commoner origin, Zuo Murui specially invited a well-known tutor to teach her manners. The rules of the Prince's Mansion were not as strict as those of the Imperial Palace, but etiquette and demeanor still had to be observed.
Fu Zhi Qiao was quite surprised by the arrival of the teaching nanny, and she never expected that Zuo Murui would send someone to teach her.
The headmistress's surname was Han. She stayed at the Fu residence for five days. Fu Zhi Qiao was very good at currying favor. When teaching etiquette, she praised the headmistress for her excellent teaching while also giving her a large red envelope, making her very happy.
After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Granny Han praised Fu Zhi Qiao to Zuo Murui, saying that she was intelligent and quick to understand, and although she was young, she was very tactful in her speech and actions, and her demeanor was that of a great lady. She praised Zuo Murui for marrying such a good daughter-in-law.
Han Mama was originally a tutor in the palace. After leaving the palace, she was often invited by various noble families to tutor their daughters. She herself had also invited Han Mama to teach her when she got married. Han Mama's praise of Fu Zhi Qiao made Zuo Murui feel relieved.
Just two days after Granny Han left, the Prince's Mansion sent someone over again. This time, it was Granny Zhang, who was by Zuo Murui's side. She came to deliver the wedding dress and phoenix crown that Fu Zhi Qiao would wear.
Yu Roulan instructed her maid to brew a pot of pre-rain Longjing tea. After drinking a cup of tea, Granny Zhang had the things brought in.
In the Great Wei Dynasty, only noblewomen such as the Empress Dowager, Empress, and concubines were qualified to wear clothing with phoenix patterns. Others who wanted to be qualified to wear a phoenix crown needed to have an imperial decree.
Common women could only wear colorful crowns or floral crowns made of gold, silver, gemstones, and pearls. They could only wear "phoenix crowns" when they got married. These "phoenix crowns" were just imitations of the style and were not real phoenix crowns.
The phoenix crown that Granny Zhang sent to Fu Zhi Qiao was genuine and made according to the rank of the Crown Prince's consort.
The entire phoenix crown is made of gold, with a phoenix pattern made of gold wire on the top, surrounded by pearl flowers, and inlaid with precious gemstones such as rubies, lapis lazuli, and coral, making it intricate and dazzling.
"The Prince and Princess intend to hold a three-day, three-night banquet, and have specially sent this servant to discuss it with you."
The three-day, three-night banquet was extremely expensive. It seems the Prince's Mansion values A-Qiao highly.
Yu Roulan was taken aback while holding the teacup, then her face lit up with delight. "We'll leave everything to the Prince and Princess."
Yu Roulan didn't think that much about it. She just felt that the Prince's Mansion was showing that he valued his daughter by holding such a grand wedding. She didn't think about it in any deeper way.
Looking at Yu Roulan's smiling face, Granny Zhang was a little unsure of her thoughts. Had Madam Fu understood her hints?
Zuo Murui decided to send Granny Zhang on this trip to give Yu Roulan a heads-up.
The Crown Prince's marriage was personally bestowed by His Majesty, and the Prince's Mansion must hold a grand ceremony to demonstrate the Emperor's boundless grace. Today, in addition to delivering clothing and a list of gifts, she also has the task of giving Madam Fu some pointers.
The Prince's wedding was a grand affair, with a three-day, three-night feast. People from all over the capital would come to watch. If the Fu family acted petty, it would be the Prince's family that would lose face.
"This is the list of gifts from the Prince's Mansion. Please take a look, Madam." Granny Zhang took out the list of betrothal gifts for Yu Roulan to review.
Yu Roulan smiled and took it, then flipped through it.
The dowry from Prince Duan's mansion was quite impressive. In addition to the gold jewelry for the new bride, there were antique porcelain, famous paintings and calligraphy, land deeds and shops all included. There were also several imperial gifts on the list. Yu Roulan patted her chest and sighed inwardly, thankful that she had made preparations in advance so as not to embarrass her daughter in terms of dowry.
Generally speaking, the dowry should match the betrothal gifts so that the bride's family will not be looked down upon.
Yu Roulan prepared a total of 130 loads of dowry, with all the food, clothing, drink and other necessities provided. In addition, there were congratulatory gifts from Defu, Wenjiang, Wenshan, Peng Gaofei and others. Zhou Miaosi also sent someone to deliver additional dowry. Some families who had business dealings with Taibai Tower also sent congratulatory gifts. All in all, the dowry totaled 138 loads.
"I am deeply grateful for the Prince and Princess's kindness towards Zhi Qiao, and I will certainly do my best to cooperate."
Upon hearing this, Granny Zhang finally felt relieved.
*
June arrived in the blink of an eye, and there were only half a month left until the wedding.
The circumstances of a daughter who stays at home are different from those of a daughter-in-law who marries into another family. Yu Roulan, being gentle and kind, taught Fu Zhiqiao to be filial to her parents-in-law and considerate to her husband after marriage...
Fu Zhi Qiao nodded repeatedly. She wouldn't actually do as Yu Rou Lan instructed; her nodding in agreement was merely to reassure Yu Rou Lan.
"Ah Qiao, you're a smart girl. In a marriage, it's either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind. You're stubborn, so you must never be stubborn again after you get married!"
“There are many rules in the Prince’s mansion, so you need to be careful…” Yu Roulan knew that her daughter was clever and intelligent, but she still wanted to pass on her life experience to her.
Yu Roulan kept rambling on, and Fu Zhiqiao's nose tingled with tears as she listened. "Daughter knows, don't worry."
"Come in!" After saying this privately, Yu Roulan beckoned two young girls to come in. They were about fourteen or fifteen years old, and both were quite good-looking with delicate features.
Fu Zhiqiao was completely confused.
"Ah Qiao, both of them are honest and upright, and they will marry into the royal palace with you."
Fu Zhi Qiao then realized that these two were maids Yu Rou Lan had prepared for her as part of her dowry. If Xie Zhuo wanted to promote a concubine in the future, he would have Fu Zhi Qiao choose one of them.
When a daughter of a wealthy family gets married, in addition to bringing her dowry, she also brings a maidservant with her to her husband's house. When the mistress is not particularly available, the maidservant is responsible for serving her.
From the mistress's perspective, rather than taking a concubine from outside to compete for favor, it's better to promote one of her own maids, so that mistress and servant can be united, and the mistress can also manipulate the maid at will.
The principle of "keeping the good stuff within the family" applies here.
Fu Zhiqiao sighed, "My goodness, do you have to be so thoughtful?!"
"Mother has been working hard these past few days, shouldn't you get some rest?"
Yu Roulan gently patted Fu Zhiqiao's hand, "Don't think your mother is being nosy. I'm just thinking of you. You'll need their help someday!"
Fu Zhi Qiao had made a promise with Xie Zhuo not to take a concubine, but she couldn't tell Yu Rou Lan, nor could she tell anyone else.
"I don't want my people to annoy me!" No matter what Yu Roulan said, Fu Zhiqiao refused.
Fu Zhi Qiao may seem gentle and harmless, but she is actually rebellious. Yu Rou Lan couldn't persuade her otherwise, and thinking that children and grandchildren have their own blessings, she let her be.
Yu Roulan also said that she had put something in her clothes box and told her to look at it when no one was around.
Fu Zhi Qiao noticed that she was giving her a mysterious wink and guessed that the box contained something like a fire-avoidance diagram. She indicated that she would definitely listen to her and study it carefully.
Fu Zhi Qiao's frank attitude immediately made Yu Rou Lan blush.
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