webnovelfull Chapter 20 Crying at the Wedding - You Have to Cry!
Chapter 20 Crying at the Wedding - You Have to Cry!
The Zhenguo Duke's mansion's treasury was so rich it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was as wealthy as a nation. In modern times, people talk about profiting from war, and this was certainly true in ancient times as well. After each battle, it was customary for the general to keep one-tenth of the loot gathered by the army, with the remainder going to the national treasury. The Zhenguo Duke's mansion was particularly remarkable. Generations of military officers had accumulated wealth, and with a small household, they had little to spend. So, over the past hundred years, they had truly amassed enough treasure to fill countless treasuries.
Therefore, Zhang Ting and Ji Tiao spared no expense when packing Lin Shiming's "dowry," choosing only the most expensive items. As a result, although the "dowry" was only prepared for a little over half a month, it was filled to the brim with gold, silver, jewels, famous paintings, antiques, shop deeds, and more. The specially made box, which was half again as large as others, was packed full.
Moreover, due to the special nature of this marriage and the tight schedule, the bulky furniture was replaced with treasures, making it even more valuable. If it weren't for the fact that this was already the same amount as the former Crown Princess's dowry, the excited mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would probably have added even more.
When they couldn't fit any more in, Ji Tiao said, "We'll move more when we have time, otherwise it'll just gather dust in the warehouse."
This resulted in the boxes being unusually heavy, too heavy for the men from the Ministry of Rites to lift. With no other option, Lin Shihe temporarily drew a fully equipped squad of soldiers from the military camp to escort them all the way to the Eastern Palace.
Along the way, the people marveled at it.
In particular, on the last box, there were two rather large wolf cubs sitting.
"Brother, I'm new to the capital and don't know much about this. Is it customary here for a man to bring two wolves as part of his dowry when he gets married?"
"I don't know either!"
"..."
*
But whatever the people thought, that's yesterday's news. Today, there's new gossip to come. That gossip is, of course, the grand wedding of the Crown Prince, which drew a large crowd from almost the entire capital.
The grand wedding in the Changping Dynasty differed from that of previous dynasties. Generally, guests would arrive at the bride's house in the morning, have a lunch banquet, and then the groom would pick up the bride at Shenshi (3-5 PM) in the afternoon. The bride would leave at Youshi (5-7 PM), and then everyone would go to the groom's house to witness the ceremony, followed by an evening banquet. Only then was the ceremony considered complete.
Therefore, at the end of the 9-11 AM, Zhang Ting and Ji Tiao were happily entertaining the female relatives who had come to witness the ceremony in the back courtyard.
Ji Tiao's close friends quietly called her aside.
"Ah Tiao, today is your brother-in-law's wedding. Is it really appropriate for you to be so excited?"
In ancient times, when a daughter got married, her family members were usually filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow. Even the new sister-in-law had to show a reluctant expression. Otherwise, people would gossip and say that the new bride was not loved by her family. Especially for the sister-in-law, she was more likely to be targeted, and rumors might spread that she was "eager to kick her sister-in-law out of the house."
Even if there is no real affection, one cannot be as cheerful as Ji Tiao.
But Ji Tiao didn't care at all. "It's alright, it's alright. You may not know, but my Shi Ming is never home. He's away for a year or two at a time. The total time he spends at home each year is no more than half a month."
"He married the Crown Prince today. Although he has entered the palace, he is still a man, so it is convenient for him to leave the palace and return home. Compared to his previous years of traveling around, he can be said to be living in the capital for a long time now. If you think about it that way, my brother and I will be able to see him several times more often than before, so we really can't pretend to be sad about parting."
The ladies: "... ..."
They turned to look at Zhang Ting, who was entertaining guests and whose smile was several times brighter than Ji Tiao's, as well as Lin Yunyue, who was laughing heartily back and forth in the distance, and Lin Shihe, who was calm and composed, and fell even more silent.
"...That's good!"
What a strange family!
*
At the end of the day, after the guests had finished their lunch at the bride's house, it was time for the prince to come and fetch the bride.
When the Crown Prince went to fetch his bride, he was accompanied by several noble members of the imperial family. Who would dare to stop him?
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion dared to do it. Not only did they dare, they did so with complete righteous indignation.
"Your Highness, although you are the ruler and we are the subjects, if you want to take our young general away today, it won't be something that can be resolved with just a few poems."
The main problem is that they are all military officers, roughnecks, and don't understand this kind of refined culture. What if the Crown Prince casually recites a couple of poems, and they can't even understand them? Wouldn't that make them look ignorant?
Lu Yuxi naturally guessed it, and he smiled, "I brought a military knife with me today, which was made by Master Yanyi."
"..."
"I still feel that there is a distinction between ruler and subject, and it is not appropriate to make things too difficult for Your Highness. Your Highness can simply compose a poem and that will suffice!"
Everyone burst into laughter, while Lin Yunyue was so angry that he jumped up and down in the back.
Without any obstacles, Lu Yuxi quickly entered the main hall, waiting for Lin Shihe to bring over the other protagonist of the day.
At this moment, Lin Shiming, who had been bored in his room all morning, was finally able to step out of his room.
"Please have the bride's brother carry her out of the house!" the wedding envoy from the Ministry of Rites announced loudly.
Lin Shiming and Lin Shihe exchanged a glance; this sentimental act seemed a bit disgusting. They pretended not to hear!
"Hey! I have to carry it..."
"Give it a rest." Another official from the Ministry of Rites standing beside him pressed down on the marriage envoy's arm. "Knowing full well that it's His Majesty's twisted sense of revenge, you're still going after him. Be careful, or the Duke of Zhenguo will come after you!"
"This is a matter of etiquette, how can you..."
"What's the point of formalities! It's a marriage between two men, what good are ordinary courtesies? Let's go, they'll all be leaving soon!"
"I..."
The marriage envoy was dragged away.
In the main hall, Lin Yunyue and Zhang Ting sat at the head of the table, while Lu Yuxi stood below waiting.
When Lu Yuxi saw Lin Shihe walking side by side with Lin Shiming, who was dressed in a red wedding gown, she couldn't help but smile.
Lin Shiming walked a few steps to Lu Yuxi's side, knelt down and bowed to the head of the table, "Your son is getting married today, please grant me your permission, Father and Mother."
Lin Yunyue: "Go out today, and live a good life from now on. Don't run around aimlessly. If anything happens, tell your brother. That Emperor... he's unreliable!"
"...yes."
Zhang Ting: "Between husband and wife, communication is key. I mean verbal communication, not force."
"...yes."
Lin Yunyue and his wife nodded in satisfaction, then turned to instruct Lu Yuxi beside them.
"You should discuss everything. If Shiming has made any mistakes, come find me... his brother is the one." Ha, it's no use coming to him, no one can help him.
Lin Shihe quietly rolled his eyes.
Lu Yuxi performed the junior's greeting, "I understand. Thank you, Father and Mother."
The crowd's expressions changed instantly. They had only assumed that the Crown Prince and Young Master Lin had a good relationship, but they hadn't expected the Crown Prince to treat the Duke and his wife with the respect due to a junior, addressing them as "Father" and "Mother." It wasn't unheard of, but it was truly rare. It seemed the royal family and the Lin family indeed shared a deep and enduring bond that had lasted for generations.
It was that same wedding messenger again: "Please, the newlyweds, bid farewell to your parents!"
Lin Shiming kowtowed, "Your son bids farewell to his parents."
"Okay, go ahead!" Lin Yunyue nodded.
"..."
Everyone looked on with confusion.
No, why aren't you crying? Cry! Shouldn't you be sobbing and wailing right now?
Lin Shiming was about to get up when the wedding envoy next to him leaned over again, "No, 'crying before marriage,' you have to cry!"
His Majesty specifically instructed me to observe how this family cried and to tell His Majesty what happened. If you don't cry, how can I explain this to him?
The group exchanged glances but remained motionless, creating an awkward moment.
The marriage envoy was sweating profusely with anxiety. He looked around and then immediately fixed his expectant gaze on Lin Shihe.
"Young Master Lin, what do you think..."
Lin Shihe chuckled softly and asked in a low voice, "What does Your Majesty mean?"
The marriage envoy nodded excitedly, his eyes full of hope.
He still had to give His Majesty face. Besides, he wanted to see his father and brother holding hands, tears in their eyes. Even if it was disgusting, he'd watch!
Lin Shihe first focused on his younger brother, then pondered for a moment and decided, "Forget it, I have no leverage over him, and he has no weaknesses to exploit."
So, Lin Shihe set his sights on his father again. Things are looking promising.
He silently walked to Lin Yunyue's side, lowered his head and whispered, "Father, when our great-uncle married that prospective crown prince, they didn't even have a wedding ceremony. Even now, people still speculate about who married whom. But today, it's very clear that Shiming is the one getting married. When you face our ancestors in the future..."
"I'm going to— Waaaaaah!" Lin Shihe immediately covered Lin Yunyue's mouth, not daring to let him finish his curse.
"Waaaaah, waaaah!" Let me go! I'll curse that heartless, stingy emperor to death!
Damn it, instead of crying from anger, I got so angry that I started cursing!
Lin Shihe, still shaken, smiled at the wedding envoy, his eyes revealing a helpless expression.
The bride's heart sank. She was terribly angry at the prospect of being scolded when she got home!
"...The groom leads the bride out the door!"
Lin Shiming finally stood up and took the other end of the red satin that Lu Yuxi handed him.
The two exchanged a glance, then turned and walked out in unison.
*
After all, they were good brothers. Although Emperor Longyun did want to solidify the marriage between Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi and wanted to see Lin Yunyue weep bitterly, it was only within a small circle. In front of the world and the people, Emperor Longyun still loved his good brother's youngest son very much and did not want to be ridiculed.
So after leaving the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Lu Yuxi and Lin Shiming each rode a white horse toward the palace.
The Crown Princess could be carried into the palace through the main gate, Changde Gate. In Lin Shiming's case, it meant riding horses with Lu Yuxi, entering through Changde Gate, and riding all the way to Tai'an Hall.
Today, they held their wedding ceremony and investiture ceremony in the Tai'an Hall. The wedding banquet was held in the Zhonghe Hall.
After dismounting at the Tai'an Hall, the two did not immediately enter, but instead transferred to a sedan chair to go to the Fengxian Hall to pay homage to their ancestors. Afterwards, they returned to the Tai'an Hall to perform the ancestral worship ceremony.
Emperor Longyun and Empress Bai Qiongzhu sat at the head of the table, their faces smiling, their eyes filled with undisguised joy.
"Worship heaven and earth!"
Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi bowed deeply, facing the outside of the hall.
"Two thanks to the high hall!"
The two then turned around and bowed to the Emperor and Empress.
"Couple greetings!"
Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi stood facing each other, bowing deeply to one another.
"It's done!"
Cheers erupted from all around, and the marriage was considered settled.
"My son is overjoyed today, and I am delighted. The Crown Prince's marriage is a matter of great importance to the nation, so today I hereby grant a special pardon to criminals of three degrees and exempt the nation from 50% of its taxes this year, so that all may celebrate together!"
"Long live my emperor! Long live!"
Bai Qiongzhu smiled and said, "Yu Xi, Shi Ming, today you two are getting married. Your mother hopes that you will have a happy and fulfilling life together, and be of one heart and one mind."
"Your subject thanks Your Majesty."
Emperor Longyun beamed with joy and gestured to Grand Secretary Wen Tianbei to begin the investiture ceremony for the Crown Princess.
Wen Tianbei stood to the side below the platform and said, "Lin Shiming receives the imperial decree."
Lin Shiming knelt and bowed to the head of the table, saying, "Your subject is here."
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Lady Lin... is hereby designated as the Crown Princess, and is bestowed with the Imperial Decree and a golden seal. So be it."
"Your subject accepts the decree and expresses his gratitude."
Lin Shiming kowtowed, and then a palace attendant came up and took the Crown Princess's book and golden seal.
"Alright, get up quickly." Emperor Longyun raised his hand to signal, "The Crown Princess still needs to go to the Fengxian Hall to pay respects to the ancestors before the investiture ceremony is complete. Crown Prince, you should accompany her."
Lu Yuxi cupped his hands and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi walked away side by side, with Emperor Longyun and Empress keeping their eyes on them until the two figures disappeared outside the palace.