Chapter 3 The Wedding
"My aunt wants to see me?"
Jialuo immediately sat up, looking at Agate with a hint of doubt.
Agate helped her mistress down from the bed and whispered, "Yes, a eunuch named Chun'an, who serves the Empress Dowager and claims to be the chief eunuch of Cining Palace, is standing in the main hall of the post station waiting for you, Princess."
"Okay, let's hurry up and pack, we can't keep Aunt waiting."
Jialuo got up and took a bath before bed. She had only slept for three hours, so there was no dirt on her body.
Before meeting the Empress Dowager, one should bathe and change clothes, but it would be inappropriate to keep one's aunt waiting for too long at this time.
She quickly changed into new clothes.
These are new clothes that her mother specially prepared for her.
If her imperial aunt summoned her, she should neither dress too formally nor be too casual.
...
Today, they have come to invite the future empress, who is also the current empress dowager's niece. This is a very good job.
Chun'an was the chief eunuch of Cining Palace, so this job was perfect for him.
When Prince Wu Keshan returned to Khorchin, the Empress Dowager was already looking forward to her niece coming to the capital.
I've been counting down the days, and today, I've finally welcomed this master of truly noble status.
He sat upright in the hall of the post station, but dared not relax for a moment.
He stiffened as footsteps approached from the inner hall, immediately stood up, and looked down, only to see the hem of the skirt gradually coming into view.
The hem of the skirt is embroidered with blue sky and white clouds, depicting nomadic life, carrying the preciousness of a pearl of the grassland.
He knew that the woman before him was the princess he had been waiting for.
"This servant greets Your Highness."
Pure Amway Walking Ceremony.
The people following behind him all knelt down and paid their respects.
Galo stepped forward and spoke.
"Get up quickly."
"Gege Xie".
Jialuo then asked, "Did you come here because my aunt summoned me?"
Chun'an nodded and immediately said, "Yes, the Empress Dowager has been hoping for the princess to come to the capital every day. Now that she has finally been able to welcome you, she almost came to the post station to see the princess herself."
"It was Sumalagu who persuaded the Empress Dowager, saying that Princess, you have never experienced such a long journey before, and you must be exhausted now. You should rest well."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo nodded slightly.
With a joyful smile on her face, she looked up towards the Forbidden City before she spoke.
It was the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the sunlight was warm, and the trees outside the post station were lush, with the towering city gates of the capital city faintly visible in the distance.
“My aunt pities Jialuo, and Jialuo knows it. Jialuo also longs to see her aunt.”
"Even so, let's not waste any more time. Please lead the way."
Chun'an quickly bowed, then crouched down and led Jialuo out of the post station, onto the carriage that had been prepared, and slowly drove towards the capital.
The Forbidden City truly intrigued Jialuo.
She wanted to roll down the car window to see the bustling capital, but she never heard a word.
When Chun'an spoke again, they had already arrived at the palace gates.
Her already tense heart sank even further.
As Jialu stepped down from the carriage, she was greeted by towering, scarlet walls.
The high walls stretch endlessly, seemingly without end, and their towering height and imposing presence create a sense of pressure, making one realize their own insignificance.
"Princess, come this way." Chun'an walked to her side again and said in a low voice.
Jialuo remained silent, nodded slightly, and stepped forward.
Once you enter the massive palace gates, what comes into view is a long alley.
Even though the road was quite wide, enough for several carriages to travel side by side, the alley still gave one a sense of the deep and secluded road ahead, and a solemn and orderly atmosphere.
Marble floors make you feel exceptionally stable when you walk on them, but they also make your feet extremely tired.
After an incense stick had burned, she finally arrived at the palace she was meant to visit that day.
Cining Palace.
A platform leads out in front of the Cining Palace, upon which stand four gilded bronze incense burners, from which white smoke curls upwards.
There is a gate in the center of the east and west wings of the front yard.
Jialuo didn't stop walking. As soon as she stepped onto the platform, she saw a kind-looking woman standing at the entrance.
The woman wore a dark green, straight-cut cheongsam with a front opening and fine bamboo pattern, and her hair was styled in two buns with symmetrical gold hairpins.
Upon seeing her, the woman's eyes lit up, and her voice softened.
"This servant, Sumala, greets Your Highness."
Sumala was a maidservant who accompanied Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang in her dowry and was also Emperor Shunzhi's tutor. How could Jialuoan accept such a courtesy?
She quickly dodged to the side, then strode forward and helped Sumala up.
"Auntie, get up quickly."
Sumala didn't stand on ceremony. She stood up with a gentle expression and pulled her along, saying, "Come in quickly, the Empress Dowager has been wanting to see the Princess for a long time."
"Um."
As Jialuo followed her through the door, the first thing she saw was the Empress Dowager sitting on the central couch.
The moment Jialuo saw Empress Xiaozhuang, she was stunned.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang is only thirty-eight years old, but she looks like she is in her thirties and has a beautiful appearance.
Her phoenix eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, and she wore a warm smile.
She wore a plain-colored robe, and her hair, wrapped in a bun, was simply adorned with a white magnolia-shaped hairpin.
Behind her was a couch, and behind the couch was a screen depicting a landscape painting in ink and wash.
Two beautiful palace maids stood on either side.
Upon seeing her arrive, the palace maids bowed.
When Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang saw her again, her expression was filled with emotion and affection.
Jialuo quickly walked to the center of the hall and bowed.
"My niece greets her aunt."
"New Sarri!"
The woman's voice was joyful as she stood up and reached out to take her hand.
"Quickly, show it to your aunt!"
Jialuo stood up with her help. She was eleven years old and had just started to grow taller, only reaching the shoulder of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
The two were very close together, and she looked up slightly at her aunt.
“New Sari, back then my brother, your Abu, said you were the brightest pearl on the grassland, and I knew then how dazzling you were.”
"But even now, seeing you, I am still amazed by your beauty."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo felt a little embarrassed by the praise.
She lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "My aunt is the most beautiful woman Jialuo has ever seen."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, who had been praised by countless people, simply smiled gently and said, "No, Xinsa Ri, in my life I have seen many women with outstanding appearances, but I have only seen two women with unparalleled beauty."
Jialuo curiously raised her head and looked at Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
"The first one is my older sister, Hailanzhu."
"The other one is you, my new Sari."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo felt her face flush, but she didn't show any of the discomfort that a young girl would have.
She raised her head, took her aunt's arm, sat on the couch, and said affectionately, "The girls of our Borjigit clan are all the most beautiful."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Sumala had obviously never heard anyone say this before. They were both taken aback, and then Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang suddenly broke into a smile.
Even Sumala looked at Jialuo with amusement.
"You are quite a likable young lady."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang gently tapped Jialuo's nose with her hand. Jialuo blinked and put on an obedient expression.
She knew that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang must have summoned her at this time for some other reason.
As expected, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang lovingly held her in her arms and gently patted her back.
"I also married Emperor Taizong at a very young age, but at that time, I was a year older than you."
"I wasn't made empress; the empress at the time was my own aunt."
Jialuo nestled obediently in her aunt's arms, listening to her talk.
"The Empress is different from the other concubines."
There is a Chinese saying, “举案齐眉”, which means that husband and wife should respect each other.
"Being an empress is different from marrying someone else as a concubine on our grasslands. There are many rules. Xin Sa Ri, all these rules may not be the same as those of our Aisin Gioro family now. Perhaps there are some rituals that belong to the weddings of emperors of the previous dynasty."
Jialuo gradually understood that her aunt was teaching her how to be an empress.
She was the first empress of the Aisin Gioro family after they entered the Central Plains.
The wedding ceremony and the subsequent power structure of the harem were both very important.
It also depends on whether she can shoulder this responsibility.
Jialuo didn't care much about becoming Shunzhi's empress, but she valued whether she could become the empress of the Qing Dynasty.
Her aunt taught her diligently, and she listened even more attentively.
At this moment, a young eunuch hurried over, bowed at the door, and said, "Empress Dowager, His Majesty said he has come to pay his respects to you."
Jialu was momentarily shocked. The Shunzhi Emperor was coming at this time?
Traditionally, a man and a woman should not meet before their wedding.
Could it be that the Emperor doesn't know he's in Cining Palace at this time?
Or did he deliberately come to see her?
Jialuo didn't understand; she simply looked up at her aunt.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang remained calm. When she noticed Jialuo looking at her, she touched Jialuo's hair and said with a smile, "Come, meet your imperial cousin."
At this moment, Jialuo had no time for other thoughts, as footsteps could be heard at the door.
She quickly stood up, stood properly, and looked towards the door.
Historical records describe Huang Taiji as having an extraordinary appearance, a face as red as cinnabar, and being impervious to severe cold.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was beautiful and gentle on the outside but resilient on the inside.
She was extremely curious about what kind of emperor the early-deceased Shunzhi Emperor really was.
The boy stepped inside.
He wore a sky-blue outer robe with a round collar and right-fastening front, adorned with a five-clawed golden dragon, and a silver-threaded belt with a dark-colored jade ornament.
He had an upright posture, but was somewhat thin, typical of youth.
His face was extremely handsome, and his phoenix eyes, inherited from Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, still retained a youthful roundness.
His gaze was fixed on the woman, carrying a natural air of authority, yet also a touch of warmth.
Jialu looked away the moment she met his gaze; to look directly at the emperor's face was a sin.
But out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man's hand hanging down naturally.
His fingers were long and slender, naturally extended, and he wore a jade thumb ring on his right thumb.
"Borjigit Jialu greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Jialuo knelt and performed a grand salute.
"Cousin, please rise."
The man's voice was clear, but slightly deep.
Jialuo could tell that Shunzhi had deliberately lowered his voice to suppress his voice during puberty.
When she got up, she saw Emperor Shunzhi paying his respects to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
The Shunzhi Emperor's dignified bearing was something Jialuo found extremely pleasing to the eye, especially the kneeling posture.
At that moment, sunlight streamed through the half-open window and fell onto the floor.
The boy had a straight back and level shoulders; even though he was somewhat thin, he did not appear weak.
"Well, it's quite a coincidence today. Xin Sa Ri was just summoned to the palace by me, and the Emperor came to pay his respects as well."
This statement, though somewhat humorous, also demonstrates the deep bond between Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Shunzhi.
Fu Lin stood up and sat down in the chair at the head of the table on the right, his gaze naturally falling on Jia Luo, who was still standing to the side.
He gestured to the first seat on his left for Jialuo to sit in, then smiled and asked, "Cousin, you've traveled a long way without complaint. Are you feeling alright?"
Jialuo's gaze fell on the area above the Emperor's neck and below his eyes. Her expression remained relatively natural as she spoke, "Your Majesty, although Jialuo is somewhat tired, she is in good health and has no discomfort whatsoever."
"How are things at the post station?"
"Your Majesty, the arrangements at the post stations are flawless. After half a day of rest, we are now in the same condition as Khorchin!"
"This is all thanks to my aunt and the Emperor's care for Jialuo. Jialuo thanks my aunt and the Emperor for their great kindness."
After she finished speaking, she stood up again and bowed to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Shunzhi.
"We're all family, no need for formalities."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang smiled as she watched her bow, and then said, "Xin Sari calls me aunt, but addresses the Emperor as Emperor. Why is that?"
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