On the tenth day of the fourth month, the spring sunshine was radiant, the breeze gentle, and the day warm.
Before dawn had even broken, the Duke's estate was already bustling with orderly preparations for Ming Hua's entry into the palace that day.
According to the rites of the Great Qi Dynasty, when the emperor conferred the title of Noble Consort, it was only necessary for the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies to dispatch an envoy to escort the Noble Consort into the palace. After the conferral ceremony at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a sacrifice would be offered at the Ancestral Temple to inform heaven and the ancestors.
The Duke and Duchess cherished their daughter dearly. Though they could not give her the grand wedding of an ordinary family's young lady—with the three matchmakers, six rites, three documents, and six gifts—they still made lavish arrangements. They hosted a grand banquet for relatives and friends, set up canopies along the long street outside the estate gates, and laid out three days of abundant open-air feasts for all the common folk of the capital. They also prepared a very generous dowry for their daughter, ensuring she would enter the palace in grand style.
Outside the main chamber of the Listening to Snow Pavilion, on the two lush crabapple trees, several adorable magpies hopped among the branches early in the morning, chattering ceaselessly.
After rising in the morning, Ming Hua hurriedly finished her breakfast, then sat upright on a cushion before the carved rosewood dressing table beneath the latticed window in the inner chamber. Qingyun and Nuanxue attended to her toilette and dressing.
Ming Hua's skin was as smooth as congealed cream, her face like a bright moon. Her sparkling apricot eyes held the softness of spring water, her arched brows curved like crescent moons, dark without needing to be drawn. Her small lips were like moistened cherries, red without needing rouge. Even without a trace of makeup, the young lady was already a beauty capable of toppling cities.
But today's conferral ceremony was solemn, so after Qingyun finished arranging Ming Hua's hair, she meticulously applied a refined and resplendent makeup that nonetheless retained an air of dignified elegance.
In the bronze mirror, the young lady, fully dressed and adorned, looked like a celestial maiden from the moon—a national beauty, breathtakingly gorgeous.
Her silken black hair was styled into an intricate and dignified Lily Bun, adorned with an exquisitely crafted Nine-Phoenix Floral Coronet decorated with nine pale pink eastern pearls.
The exquisite, magnificent, and regal deep-blue Di-fu Ceremonial Robe trailing along the ground lent the already radiant and lovely young lady an added measure of dignity and grace, as if a heavenly goddess had descended to the mortal world.
As Nuanxue adjusted the elaborate ribbons on Ming Hua's ceremonial robe, she looked up and caught sight of her mistress in the bronze mirror—so breathtakingly beautiful, so dazzlingly radiant that she seemed almost a stranger. Nuanxue froze for a moment, then unconsciously revealed a look of utter adoration and exclaimed in wonder, "Mistress, you are truly beautiful today…"
"Is your mistress not beautiful on ordinary days?"
Though she was still reluctant to enter the palace, Ming Hua looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror—her cloud-like hair, her flower-like face, her resplendent coronet and magnificent robes—and felt a stir of joy. She deliberately teased Nuanxue with a coquettish hum.
Nuanxue had the sweetest tongue and was the most skilled at flattering Ming Hua and lifting her spirits. She immediately scrambled to make amends: "Mistress is beautiful on ordinary days too, but today is a different kind of beautiful! This servant has never seen such a lovely lady before!"
Her eyes darted about as she thought for a moment, searching for the right words to describe her mistress's breathtaking beauty today. Finally, she laughed joyfully: "Like a Chang'e fairy stepping out of an ancient painting—so stunning one cannot look away!"
Qingyun stepped forward, reaching up to straighten the Nine-Phoenix Floral Coronet on Ming Hua's bun, and said with a light laugh: "With today's attire, mistress can truly be called a peerless beauty of unsurpassed elegance."
"Once you enter the palace and His Majesty sees you, I fear he will be so captivated he cannot tear his eyes away!"
"Mistress will surely win the emperor's favor and reign supreme in the harem, enjoying a blissful union with His Majesty!"
A shy blush spread across Ming Hua's small face, her cheeks flushing as red as morning clouds. She cast a reproachful glare at Qingyun, who was grinning with mischief, and pretended to be angry: "You cheeky tongue! If you dare tease me again, when I have free time, I'll find you a fine husband too!"
Qingyun immediately put on a playful, pleading expression and begged for mercy: "Dear mistress, this servant knows she was wrong—this servant has no desire to marry."
"From today onward, mistress will be a noble First-Rank Noble Consort. This servant only wishes to accompany mistress into the palace and enjoy wealth and honor by your side for a lifetime. Mistress must not think of abandoning this servant!"
Nuanxue chimed in from the side: "This servant too!"
"This servant's life was saved by mistress. If not for your kindness, buying poor little me from the market all those years ago, I would long since have been sold by my gambling-addicted father to a brothel to become a prostitute."
"This servant wants to stay by mistress's side forever! Wherever mistress goes, this servant will follow!"
According to palace regulations, consorts entering the palace could bring at most two accompanying maidservants. Naturally, Ming Hua chose Qingyun and Nuanxue, who had served her closely for many years.
Both had been personally purchased by her from the street markets when she was young. They had grown up by her side for years, and privately, the three of them were like sisters.
Hearing this, Ming Hua's eyes grew moist. She took both their hands and clasped them together, saying with deep emotion: "You two have been by my side for so many years—I have long regarded you as my own sisters. How could I bear to have you accompany me in that cold, lonely palace, growing old in solitude for a lifetime?"
"If the days in the palace ever become difficult, I will surely find you both a good home and send you out of the palace. Or if one day the two of you wish to leave and marry, just tell me—I will arrange everything for you and ensure your remaining years are free from worry…"
There was still a little while before the time to depart. After finishing Ming Hua's grooming and dressing, the three of them—mistress and maids—shared some intimate words in the inner chamber, then reluctantly took one last look at the courtyard where they had lived for so many years.
Just then, Nanny Liu, who served by Zhao Xuelan's side, came in from outside beaming with joy, her face wreathed in smiles as she exclaimed happily, "Young Mistress! Young Mistress!"
"His Majesty has come in person to escort the Young Mistress into the palace! The Young Mistress should prepare quickly to go out! This is an immense honor!"
"What?" Nuanxue's face immediately lit up with surprise upon hearing this.
Qingyun said to Ming Hua with undisguised delight, "I've heard that even for the Empress's grand wedding, there's no precedent of His Majesty coming in person to receive the bride! This shows how much His Majesty values you, Young Mistress!"
Qingyun and Nuanxue immediately and joyfully re-examined and tidied Ming Hua's makeup, hair, and garments, and only after confirming there was not a single flaw did they help Ming Hua out of the inner chamber and follow Nanny Liu to the front courtyard to bid farewell to her parents.
Upon hearing that the Emperor had come in person to receive her, Ming Hua's expression was somewhat dazed and stupefied. What occupied her mind most at this moment was a mixture of anticipation and trepidation at the prospect of finally seeing the Emperor's countenance.
On the way to the front courtyard, the young lady nervously clutched the embroidered handkerchief beneath her wide sleeves until it was crumpled, silently praying in her heart that the Emperor absolutely must not look as the rumors described—a crude, burly brute with a thick waist and brawny arms!
For some reason, Ming Hua felt that the path to the front courtyard today was especially long. She walked with eager anticipation, following Nanny Liu through corridors and across courtyards. It felt like she had walked for a very long time until finally, turning past a moon-shaped gate, she arrived at the front courtyard.
Although the front courtyard was filled with guests, because the Emperor had come in person to receive the bride, the atmosphere was extremely solemn and dignified—so quiet that a dropping needle could be heard.
Around the courtyard stood many accompanying palace attendants in orderly formation, as well as imperial guards holding curved sabers with cold, stern expressions.
Everyone who had come to the banquet today was greatly astonished by the Emperor's sincerity and the importance he placed on the Duke of Supporting the Nation's household.
The assembled guests inwardly sighed to themselves—after the Duke of Supporting the Nation's daughter entered the palace, she would likely dominate the harem on the strength of her family background alone, not to mention possessing such breathtaking beauty.
The Duke and Duchess of Supporting the Nation were also somewhat overwhelmed by the honor as they waited respectfully in the main hall. That the Emperor would condescend to come in person to receive their daughter—granting such face to their household and to their daughter—was beyond what they had expected.
Ming Hua, supported by Nanny Liu, slowly walked up into the main hall.
She slowly raised her eyes, and her gaze was immediately captivated by the man seated at the head of the hall—a handsome lord dressed in a black dragon robe embroidered with nine golden dragons, a gold-and-jade belt around his waist, a gold-and-jade crown upon his head, his features cold and resolute, his bearing tall and upright, radiating an aura of majestic dignity and noble refinement.
Ming Hua halted in her steps, frozen in place, her dark, liquid-black almond eyes widening in stunning admiration.
In that instant, the only thought that sprang to her mind was that her father, her mother, and Wei Wei truly had not deceived her!
The Emperor was indeed even more handsome, spirited, and striking than her father and her two elder brothers—more dashing and imposing!
She had originally assumed that since the Emperor was ten years her senior, even if he were genuinely handsome and distinguished, he would surely be an old, weathered man.
But unexpectedly, there was not the slightest trace of being that much older than her on the Emperor's face. He was incomparably handsome, yet without losing any of his imposing, stalwart bearing.
The Emperor's appearance and bearing seemed to have been crafted precisely to match the image of the man she admired in her heart—she could not have been more satisfied!
All the grievance and frustration Ming Hua had felt over the past days seemed to dissipate in an instant. It was as if her very soul had been captured. Her dark almond eyes were filled with admiration, her heart brimming with joy and contentment.
She stared unblinkingly, openly appraising the Emperor who sat upright and solemn in the hall—broad of shoulder, lean of waist, with deep-set eyes and handsome, sharp features.
Without realizing it, Ming Hua's cheeks flushed with shyness. She unconsciously swallowed, and her rosy lips curled up in delight of their own accord, completely unaware of her own loss of composure.
The Emperor's phoenix eyes, beautiful as black obsidian, seemed capable of bewitching one's heart. Ming Hua stared back at him in a daze for a long while, until Nanny Liu beside her softly reminded her to pay her respects to the Emperor. Only then did she snap back to her senses.
Realizing she had lost her composure, Ming Hua's small face burned as hot as fire with embarrassment. She lowered her head in shame and quickly bent her knees in a curtsey.
"Your subject's daughter pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed with peace…"
Xie Chongyuan sat in the hall, watching from afar as a young lady with skin like congealed cream and a willowy, flower-like beauty—dressed in resplendent finery—approached him with the delicate, graceful bearing of a spring willow swaying in the breeze.
Even his face, which was ordinarily as unmovable as a mountain, showed signs of distraction for a long moment. The hand that had been idly tapping the table out of boredom suddenly paused unconsciously.
He had long heard that the Ming family's pampered youngest daughter, though somewhat spoiled and willful, was a rare beauty of unparalleled grace.
But he never expected that this young lady possessed a countenance so ethereal, so rarely seen in this world—one that rivaled the moon goddess Chang'e herself, delicate and alluring, evoking tender affection.
All the praises and flowery words he had heard about her beauty these past days were utterly insufficient to describe her exquisite loveliness.
At this moment, he suddenly felt that such a flower—with her jade-like grace and willowy charm—ought indeed, as the rumors said, to be cherished like a pearl in the palm of the family's hand, raised in extravagant indulgence.
It was not until the young lady's sweet, melodious voice—like the warbling of an oriole in spring—reached his ears as she offered her greetings that he finally composed himself.
His heart trembled faintly as he raised his hand to signal Ming Hua to rise, then cleared his throat almost imperceptibly and said in a deep voice, "Rise quickly."
The emperor's voice was low and resonant, carrying a hint of magnetic depth, like the serene and far-reaching toll of a bell from an ancient temple—most pleasing to the ear, and well suited to his handsome, dignified, and composed appearance.
"Your subject daughter thanks Your Majesty," Ming Hua said, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of rouge at the sound of his voice.
After paying her respects to the emperor, Ming Hua was supported by Nanny Liu at her side as she went to bid farewell to her parents, who stood below.
The moment Ming Hua saw her parents, all the delight and shyness she had felt upon beholding the emperor's handsome visage vanished from her face.
Looking at her parents who had doted on her for so many years, and thinking that from now on she would be separated from them by the deep palace walls, with few opportunities to meet again, her nose suddenly stung with emotion.
She fought back the tears that threatened to surge forth, and regardless of her changed status, knelt with great solemnity to kowtow in farewell.
Her daughter was now an imperial consort, a member of the imperial household—the distinction between sovereign and subject had long been established.
The Duke and Duchess of Fuguo watched their daughter kneel, and in alarm hurried forward to help her rise. Then, with tears in their eyes, they earnestly spoke a few words of blessing and admonition before having Nanny Liu support their daughter out the door with the emperor.
"Huahua!"
As her daughter gradually left the main hall, Zhao Xuelan suddenly could no longer contain her reluctance. She rose and rushed forward, tears streaming down her face, and in a moment of abandon, grasped her daughter's hand.
Ming Yuan and Ming Zong followed behind Zhao Xuelan, their faces equally filled with reluctant attachment.
Ming Hua turned her head, and seeing her parents and elder brother with red-rimmed eyes and faces full of reluctance, her voice choked pitifully as she sobbed, "Father, Mother, Second Brother…"
At that moment, she desperately wished she could throw a tantrum as she used to, wave her hand, and declare she would not enter the palace.
But she knew this concerned the lives of the entire Duke of Fuguo's household and all several hundred members of the Ming clan. She could not abandon her family for her own selfish desires.
Ming Yuan, tears in his eyes and face full of reluctance, took one last look at the daughter he had cradled in his hands since she was a child.
Then, suppressing the tears in his eyes, he bowed respectfully to the emperor and said in a deep voice, offering his apology: "The Noble Consort is the youngest daughter my wife and I cherish most dearly. Our excessive love for our daughter has made a spectacle before Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness…"
"The Duke and Duchess's feelings are only natural," Xie Chongyuan said, his heart stirring with guilt and compassion at the scene before him.
His mother's admonishment that night had been right.
To secure his hold on the court, he had issued a single edict, sacrificing this young lady's entire life to fulfill his own purposes. She was the one who had truly made the sacrifice and suffered the grievance.
From now on, he should treat her well and be a proper husband to her.
Xie Chongyuan hastily raised his hand to personally help Ming Yuan to his feet, and in a deep, solemn voice made a weighty promise: "I ask the Duke and Duchess to rest assured. From this day forth, I shall treasure the Noble Consort dearly, take no other consorts, and never allow her to suffer the slightest grievance."
Hearing the emperor's solemn promise, the sorrow on Ming Yuan's face lightened somewhat, and he said respectfully, "With Your Majesty's words today, your subject and his wife have nothing to worry about."
Having said this, Ming Yuan looked at his daughter once more with reluctant eyes and earnestly admonished: "The Noble Consort must take good care of herself in the palace, and cherish her own well-being…"
"It is growing late now. I ask the Noble Consort to accompany His Majesty out the door at once, so as not to delay the auspicious hour of your investiture…"
"Father, Mother, please forgive your daughter for being unable to fulfill her filial duties before you from now on…"
"Second Brother, please take good care of Father and Mother for Huahua's sake…"
After speaking through her tears, Ming Hua gently dabbed the corners of her eyes with her embroidered handkerchief. Then, with lingering reluctance, she turned and walked beside the emperor, out of the Duke of Fuguo's mansion where she had lived since childhood, to the grand procession of the Noble Consort's entourage waiting outside the gates.
Her heart was filled entirely with the ache of leaving her parents and the home where she had grown up. Tears rolled down in large drops, surging forth and blurring her vision, impossible to hold back. She could only rely on Nanny Liu's support as she made her way toward the eight-bearer palanquin of the Noble Consort ahead.
It was the first time Ming Hua had worn such a long, trailing Di-fu Ceremonial Robe. As she reached the palanquin, in a moment of distraction, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt and was about to fall forward in an ungainly manner.
But at that moment, a broad, powerful hand caught her swiftly and steadied her by the waist.
As the world spun around her, Ming Hua fell into a broad, firm chest carrying a faint scent of ambergris.
After steadying her, Xie Chongyuan loosened his grip slightly on that waist so slender it seemed barely a handful. A flicker of lingering fear passed through him—had he, in his carelessness, used too much force and nearly snapped the young lady's delicate waist in two?
He looked down at the young lady in his arms—her eyes red-rimmed and glistening with tears, like a startled little rabbit, pitiful and endearing—and his voice unconsciously softened.
"Mind your step."
Ming Hua was both startled and mortified, her heart pounding like a drum. Flushed with embarrassment as she was held in Xie Chongyuan's embrace, she lowered her curled lashes shyly and murmured, "Thank you, Your Majesty…"
"Into the palanquin," Xie Chongyuan said, not removing his hand from that slender waist. He simply gripped the young lady's waist and guided her into the eight-bearer palanquin of golden nanmu wood, lacquered in vermilion and carved with phoenix motifs, draped with curtains of mermaid silk.
Li Youfu, who had stepped forward to assist Ming Hua into the palanquin, found his hands empty. Seeing the emperor's unusually gentle expression, a flicker of surprise crossed his face before he smiled and lowered the mermaid-silk curtains, calling for the bearers to lift.
Qingyun and Nuanxue, who had been following behind, exchanged a knowing smile at the emperor's tender care toward their mistress, then walked alongside the palanquin.
The eight-bearer noble consort's palanquin was quite spacious, but Xie Chongyuan was tall and powerfully built. Once he sat down beside Ming Hua, the roomy palanquin immediately felt cramped.
In an instant, Ming Hua found herself alone beside the emperor, the two seated shoulder to shoulder. His muscular, thick arm, swaying with the motion of the palanquin, kept brushing against her slender shoulder, whether by accident or design.
Ming Hua lowered her gaze uneasily, only to see the folds of her elaborate deep-green Di-fu Ceremonial Robe tangled with his black dragon robe. Her embarrassment suddenly burned even hotter.
But recalling the crowds of commoners who would line the streets to watch, she knew she could not disgrace the Duke Who Supports the Nation's household, nor did she wish to lose her composure before Xie Chongyuan again.
She dabbed the tears from the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, then straightened her spine. Her delicate frame sat rigidly upright, her gaze fixed proudly ahead.
Xie Chongyuan's peripheral vision had never left the young lady beside him. Watching her—trembling faintly with nerves yet forcing herself to sit upright and composed, her face a mask of feigned calm—a thin smile curved his lips.
Quite adorable, she was.
The solemn sound of gongs and drums arose as the noble consort's procession made its grand way from the Duke Who Supports the Nation's mansion toward the imperial city.
The commoners lining both sides of the road, seeing that the emperor was riding in the same palanquin as the consort, marveled at how deeply favored this consort must be—to have the emperor himself come to escort her into the palace.
In all the dynasties past, there had never been such a precedent.
And when they saw the endless stream of dowry chests being carried out of the Duke's mansion behind the consort's procession, the crowd was left utterly astounded.
All day long, the citizens of Shangjing City talked of nothing but the magnificent spectacle of the new emperor's noble consort entering the palace…