After the incident with the massive flying iron ladle, Si Huahuan and Xie Yun never saw each other again.
Before the wedding, six traditional rituals were supposed to be followed according to custom. However, since it was a princess marrying into her husband’s family, these rituals existed in name only. The entire process was managed entirely by the imperial household, and the groom’s family had no choice but to comply with every instruction.
Si Huahuan and Xie Yun did not need to worry about any arrangements. They simply practiced the wedding day ceremonies repeatedly under the guidance of court ladies and masters of ceremony, waiting patiently for the auspicious day to arrive.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye.
A wedding ceremony in ancient times was also called a “dusk rite”, as it was held in the evening.
The princess’s wedding procession was grand and the rituals departing from the palace were extremely elaborate. Therefore, from early morning, dozens of experienced court ladies and palace maids had already stood by, fully prepared.
In the morning, after complicated rites including ceremonial bathing and burning incense, Si Huahuan dressed in plain white inner garments and sat upright in front of a large bronze mirror with a pattern of diamond flowers. Two court ladies in charge of dressing and styling stepped forward, carefully undid her flowing ink-black hair, and arranged it into an intricate updo.
Then, right at the center of the hairstyle, they securely fastened an ornate ceremonial crown adorned with nine tiers of hair ornaments. Golden phoenixes, kingfisher feathers, pearls and various precious stones covered the crown. Trailing ornaments hung down from both sides, reaching almost to her shoulders. This crown was exceptionally heavy, and palace maids had to stand nearby to support it carefully.
The moment the crown was put on, Si Huahuan’s neck stiffened instantly. If she had to wear it for half a day, she would not be able to move her neck tomorrow.
She blamed all this discomfort on Xie Yun. If he had not caused trouble, she would never have had to suffer like this.
Her makeup that day was also exquisitely done. Applying powder, rouge, drawing eyebrows and dotting the lips were each completed by different maids. The process was only finished when a peony-shaped decoration cut from pure gold foil was pasted between her eyebrows.
As the auspicious hour approached, female officials from the Department of Garments led servants in carrying in large sandalwood chests. Si Huahuan stood up and, attended by eight maids, put on her formal wedding robe layer by layer.
Now she was draped in solemn and luxurious dark blue and deep gold fabrics. Pearls and jade pendants hung from her attire, making clear and rhythmic tinkling sounds as she moved.
It had already taken two hours just to finish dressing and adorning herself. Surrounded by court ladies, governesses and numerous palace maids, Si Huahuan walked slowly to the main hall of Penglai Palace.
Emperor Jiaping and the Empress were already seated upright on the imperial thrones at the head of the hall. She walked to a spot about ten steps away from the thrones and, following protocol, bowed deeply.
Looking at their beloved daughter in her magnificent wedding attire, both the Emperor and Empress showed expressions of relief and reluctance in their eyes.
Tears welled up occasionally in Emperor Jiaping’s eyes. He leaned close to the Empress, sniffled, and said with great regret, “Lingxiu, is it too late for me to regret this now?”
The Empress remained seated composedly. She smiled and spoke in a low voice, “Your Majesty, all the court officials and imperial clan members are watching.”
Receiving no comfort, Emperor Jiaping had to sit up straight again. After a moment of thought, he did not say the traditional words that should have been spoken: “Always uphold wifely virtue, respect your in-laws, and maintain harmony with the clan.”
Instead, he said, “Kangle, remember your status. Do not bring dishonor to the royal family’s dignity, and do not let yourself be wronged.”
Si Huahuan replied respectfully, “Your daughter shall obey the instructions of my Imperial Father and Imperial Mother.”
After the formal audience with the Emperor and Empress, she walked out of Penglai Palace. Outside the hall, the large procession and honor guard belonging to a princess had been waiting for a long time. She stepped onto a golden footstool and boarded her decorated carriage. The Chief of Ceremonies called out loudly, “Set off!”
At this command, the entire procession moved forward slowly. Banners to clear the road were carried at the front, guards opened the way, and music began to play.
Surrounded closely by guards and palace officials at the front and rear, the carriage traveled along the specially designated auspicious route toward the main hall where the wedding was to be held — Linde Hall.
The procession stretched for miles, magnificent and imposing. Along the way, palace guards and servants knelt by the roadside, not daring to look up.
When the carriage reached the vast square in front of Linde Hall, the honor guard lined up on both sides, leaving a clear path down the center.
From a distance, Si Huahuan saw Xie Yun waiting at the foot of the steps in front of the hall. Dressed in a deep red wedding robe and wearing a jade belt around his waist, he stood tall and straight like a pine tree. He was accompanied by the master of ceremonies and the elders of the Xie family standing behind him.
The Chief of Ceremonies called out loudly again, “Princess, please step down from the carriage!”
Supported by her governess, Si Huahuan walked slowly down. Her ceremonial robe shone with brilliant luster in the sunlight, and the pearls and kingfisher feathers on her crown reflected tiny bright spots of light. She carried herself with unmatched grace and natural majesty.
All the officials, noble ladies and imperial clansmen observing the ceremony in the square fixed their gazes upon her.
Xie Yun stepped forward. His handsome and striking features came clearly into her view. His eyes, which had always looked at her with provocation or amusement, froze for a moment as he stared intently at her.
All the noise and bustle around them seemed to be cut off by an invisible barrier, leaving only the two of them in that small space.
After a long pause, he moved his thin lips slightly and said in a low voice, “You look beautiful.”
Si Huahuan’s gaze first swept across his forehead — indeed, there was barely any mark left now. Then she glared at him. Hidden behind her ceremonial fan, she gritted her teeth and said, “If you spent a whole day being dressed up like this, you would look beautiful too.”
Xie Yun pressed his lips together and smiled silently. Surrounded by palace maids, he walked side by side with Si Huahuan into the main hall of Linde Hall, which had been decorated with extreme luxury.
The floor inside was covered with brand-new red carpets. Huge dragon-and-phoenix wedding candles burned brightly, and fragrant smoke curled upward. The Emperor and Empress had already taken their seats at the main position, while nobles, ministers and noble ladies stood in order of rank on both sides.
In the center of the hall, two wedding tables had been placed side by side, covered with deep red brocade cloth. On top lay several ceremonial objects: a gourd cut exactly in half, two goblets filled with clear wine, and several plates of symbolic food, including millet and pork.
The two walked up to the tables. First, they performed four bows to the Emperor and Empress. Then they turned to face each other and exchanged two bows.
Si Huahuan took a deep breath, leaned forward, and bowed her head toward Xie Yun, who was also bending over. At the moment she tried to straighten up, something suddenly caught her crown, preventing her from lifting her head.
It was the pearl tassels hanging from the edge of her crown, which had hooked onto a lock of Xie Yun’s hair perfectly.
Facing her, Xie Yun’s body also stiffened. He was forced to stay in an awkward half-stooped position, his neck locked in place and unable to move.
The Chief of Ceremonies announced the end of the rite twice, yet neither of them showed any sign of lifting their heads. The guests watching the ceremony looked at one another, exchanging glances and whispering in confusion.
Si Huahuan tried again to raise her head, and the man opposite her could not help but let out a sharp hiss of pain.
She asked, “What should we do?”
“…Call someone over to untangle it.”
Si Huahuan closed her eyes in despair.
To encounter such bad luck on an auspicious day! She truly believed that she and Xie Yun were completely incompatible; why would no one believe her?
Rather than being mocked forever for this embarrassing scene, it was better to end it quickly and decisively.
She made up her mind. Regardless of the consequences, she pulled her head upward with great force.
In the deep silence of the hall, she seemed to hear the faint snap of hair breaking.
Xie Yun let out a muffled groan. He bit his lip hard to force back the cry of pain that almost escaped his mouth. His peach-blossom eyes widened to their limit as he stared at her in disbelief.
It was not just one strand of hair that got caught, but a whole lock!
“You really are… ruthless,” he said in a low voice.
Si Huahuan ignored him. Composing herself as if nothing had happened, she went to kneel and sit behind the wedding table.
A female official in charge of food stepped forward and took a small amount of food from the same cauldron. The two of them each ate a symbolic mouthful. This act signified that from then on, the couple would share the same food, go through both good and bad times together, and be united as one.
If there had not been so many eyes watching, Si Huahuan would have spat out the pork in her mouth immediately.
Who would want to share joys and sorrows or be united with him?
Finally, the female official filled both halves of the gourd with clear wine and presented them. The couple took them with both hands, and the Chief of Ceremonies announced, “Perform the rite of joining together!”
Si Huahuan and Xie Yun each first drank half of the wine from their own gourd ladles. Then the female official exchanged the ladles between them, and they drank the remaining wine from each other’s ladles. This symbolized that the husband and wife were now united as one, to share fortune and misfortune together from that day on.
Si Huahuan took the half ladle of wine left by Xie Yun with a look of utter distaste. She turned the part he had drunk from away from her face, and only managed to finish it by gritting her teeth and closing her eyes.
After drinking, the two halves of the gourd were tied together with red silk thread and placed into a brocade pouch, representing eternal union of hearts.
Si Huahuan tied the knot loosely and carelessly, doing the task perfunctorily. Xie Yun suddenly reached out and took the thread from her hand, saying very thoughtfully, “Let me do it.”
The female official looked back and forth between the two with curious, amused eyes, lowering her gaze to suppress a smile.
They looked such a perfect match! And the Marquis of Ming’an was so indulgent toward Princess Kangle. The Emperor truly had bestowed upon them a wonderful marriage.
Xie Yun tied the red silk thread carefully and tightly. He pulled at it twice to ensure it would not come undone, before placing it securely into the pouch.
Seeing this scene, the guests watching smiled softly. They nudged the people beside them and exchanged knowing, curious glances.
According to the rites, they should have paid respects to Xie Yun’s parents next. However, since they had passed away long ago, their positions were occupied by memorial tablets draped in red silk, and this part of the ceremony was greatly simplified.
When the rite of paying respect to the in-laws was finished, Emperor Jiaping announced the start of the wedding banquet.
Hundreds of tables had already been set up inside and outside Linde Hall. Under the direction of officials from the Court of Imperial Entertainments, servants and maids served exquisite delicacies in a continuous stream, while music played throughout the hall.
By this time, the setting sun was fading from the sky outside, and Si Huahuan could finally let out a sigh of relief.
She had not eaten or drunk anything since breakfast and was now absolutely famished. Watching her governess serve food to her at a slow pace, she felt a little anxious and said, “I will do it myself.”
Her governess stopped her hand and said, “Your Highness must maintain proper demeanor. You need only taste a little of each dish and drink plenty of tea.”
Xie Yun, who was about to stand up to propose a toast to the guests, turned his head and glanced at her. His eyes were full of triumph and amusement. She responded by glaring fiercely at him.
To hold your own wedding banquet but be unable to eat anything at it… Si Huahuan took a deep breath, picked up her teacup, and drained it in one go.
After drinking twenty cups of tea, the grand imperial banquet finally came to an end. The Emperor and Empress departed to return to their palace. Surrounded by their large procession, the newlyweds set off for the residence of the Marquis of Ming’an.
The magnificent procession passed through the main streets of the capital. Night had fallen, and torches were stuck into the ground along the roadsides and on the trees. The streets had already been cleared by the Imperial Guard, but common people were allowed to stand along both sides to watch.
People scrambled to catch a glimpse of this grand royal occasion, marveling at the majesty of the honor guard, the splendor of the carriages, and the newlyweds — said to be the most handsome and beautiful pair in the whole empire.
After circling around the city, the procession finally arrived at the Marquis’s residence. Si Huahuan was exhausted, hungry, and did not want to move a single step.
Xie Yun stepped down from the carriage first and held out the other end of a red silk ribbon to her. Seeing her listless and reluctant to take it, he said softly, “If you are too tired to walk, shall I carry you inside?”
Si Huahuan was covered in goosebumps the moment she heard this. She gritted her teeth and snatched the ribbon from him.
Xie Yun really knew exactly how to annoy her!
Entering the main gate required stepping over a fire pit. Si Huahuan looked at the high leaping flames in front of her and gripped her skirt tightly, afraid to take a step.
Her governess urged her from the side, “Your Highness, if we delay any longer, we might miss the auspicious time for entering the bridal chamber.”
She was wondering whether to just brace herself and jump over it, when suddenly she felt a firm grip around her waist. Before she could react, her feet lifted off the ground.
Xie Yun wrapped one arm around her waist and turned her around. She felt the world spin before her eyes. The tip of her shoe barely grazed the flame, and in the next second, she was standing safely on the other side.
“You!” She was still shaken by the experience and grabbed the front of his robe. Loud laughter immediately broke out all around them.
Blushing, Si Huahuan slapped his hand away, then dragged him along into the residence without saying a word.
After performing another simplified ceremony of worshipping heaven and earth in the main hall of the residence, the two were escorted into the elaborately decorated bridal chamber.
Inside the room, red candles burned bright and curtains hung low. The bed was covered with a quilt embroidered with hundreds of children and grandchildren. On the table were placed jujubes, peanuts, lotus seeds and other items symbolizing good fortune and fertility.
Xie Yun was led out by the master of ceremonies to receive and thank the guests. Left in the bridal chamber were only Si Huahuan, the Chief of Ceremonies and her attendants, who had been waiting for the most important rite: the hair-tying ceremony.
Finally, it was all over.
Si Huahuan casually threw her ceremonial fan onto the table, picked up a peanut from a plate, peeled it, and put it into her mouth elegantly. She said to them, “Skip whatever rites are left. You may all go back now.”
This was all just going through the motions. While inside the palace, she had been watched by so many people that she could not skip any part of the process. But now that there were only a few people present, who was she supposed to be putting on an act for?
The Chief of Ceremonies looked troubled.
If the wedding rites were not completed, it would be very unlucky!
Receiving no reply, Si Huahuan lifted her eyelids lazily and glanced at them. “What? Am I, the Princess, unable to give orders to you?”
The Chief of Ceremonies, the governess, and all the maids and eunuchs exchanged glances. Then they respectfully knelt down and bowed to her, saying, “Congratulations to Your Highness the Princess and the Prince Consort on your wedding. May you be happily married for a hundred years!” With that, everyone quietly withdrew and closed the door behind them.
Si Huahuan pressed her ears irritably.
They just had to say things she disliked hearing before leaving.
No sooner had the door closed than there was a knock on it. Du Feng’s voice came from outside, “Your Highness, shall we bring dinner?”
Dinner? She signaled to Yaohuang with her eyes. Yaohuang understood, went to open the door, and asked Du Feng, “What dinner?”
Du Feng replied, “Your Highness did not eat anything at Linde Hall. The Marquis sent someone back here earlier to instruct the kitchen to prepare dinner for you. Shall we serve it now?”
Si Huahuan was startled. So that glance Xie Yun gave her before he went out to propose a toast was not meant to mock her, but because he noticed she had not been able to eat.
She was already so hungry that her stomach was pressing against her spine. There was no point in making herself suffer just to prove a point. She simply said, “Bring it in.”
In a short while, the table was filled with twenty-four dishes — exactly the same standard of meals she had every day in the palace.
She let out a soft snort. At least Xie Yun still had a shred of decency left in him.
The ceremonial crown on her head was so heavy that she could barely turn her neck. She quickly called Yaohuang and Weizi over to help her take it off. Removing it brought her immense relief.
Si Huahuan sat down at the table and had just picked up her chopsticks when Xie Yun walked back in.