Chapter 95 Part 1

Chengping, Fan Yiguang and other noble sons who usually mingled together from various guards, along with Lu Wenzhong from Grand Princess Mansion and their peers from the Cui family, numbering dozens of people, all riding horses and wearing fine clothes, had been waiting outside the gate of Yongning Lane. As soon as they saw Pei Xiaoyuan ride out, Chengping spurred his horse forward to meet him. Giving him a quick once-over, he grinned mischievously and, out of habit, swung a playful punch at his chest.

“What a good prince consort! I’d say there’s no one in all of Chang’an more carefree or romantic than you today! You actually managed to slip away yesterday, leaving me to get drunk on your behalf. I only woke up this morning with such a splitting headache I nearly missed coming here to cheer you on!”

The rest of the people also rushed forward, some congratulated, some joked, all were in high spirits, which caused the residents who were watching near the gate to also get excited and shout “Prince Consort” to Pei Xiaoyuan.

Pei Xiaoyuan calmly avoided Chengping’s punch, responded to the crowd, and then smiled and cupped his fists to thank the people around him. Then he rode through the street surrounded by people, and arrived in front of the palace while being watched and pointed at by people on both sides of the street.

Today’s officiating officials were waiting here. Pei Xiaoyuan dismounted and was led into the palace by the Master of Ceremonies. However, he could not go to meet the princess immediately. Instead, he was first escorted to the eastern pavilion of Xuanzheng Hall to formally receive the title of Commandant Prince Consort. The envoys and hundreds of officials who participated in the ceremony were already gathered here. The Keeper of Seals presented the imperial edict and seal, placing them on the ceremonial table. Pei Xiaoyuan followed the etiquette, like a puppet on strings, bowed again and again under the direction of the ceremonial officer, and finally kneeling to lift the imperial edict and seal with both hands. After receiving them, he bowed deeply once more to express his gratitude for the honor.

After all this lengthy ceremony, he was finally officially conferred the title of Commandant Prince Consort. The hour had reached dusk, and as the twilight deepened, countless palace lanterns and courtyard torches were lit one after another. The fiery glow stretched like long dragons throughout the palace grounds, illuminating the entire complex as brightly as daytime.

After a short rest and tidying up, the bell rang in the palace, announcing the auspicious time for the wedding.

Pei Xiaoyuan was led to the wedding hall, Taiji Hall. The ladies of the inner court, headed by the Grand Princess, the Crown Princess, the womenfolk of the Prince Ning Mansion, along with the palace ladies who participated in today’s wedding, had all gathered here. The ladies dressed according to their own rank, with their hair full of gold and emerald, assembled in a royal tent set up under the steps outside the hall according to their positions, waiting for the princess’s procession to come out and participate in the wedding.

The princess was currently in the inner hall, paying her farewell greetings and receiving the teachings. The prince consort was not allowed to enter for the time being. He had to wait until the bell rings and the ceremonial officer come to announce him before he could come and pick her up.

According to current wedding customs, the women of the bride’s family would never let the groom take the bride away easily. They would definitely stop him and tease him first. The higher the family status, the bigger the scene would be, even hitting him with a stick was common. In addition to adding to the festive atmosphere, it was also to let the groom learn how powerful the bride’s family was so that he would not dare to look down on the bride in the future.

Though today’s wedding was taking place in the imperial palace, these customs were not exempt. When the noble ladies saw Prince Consort Pei being led by a group of ceremonial officers and stopping at the steps of the hall, standing with impeccable posture and an unwavering gaze, they felt all the more inclined to tease him. Exchanging knowing glances, they seized the rare opportunity to encircle him with laughter, competing to make fun of him.

Some asked him to write a poem on the spot to urge the bride to hasten. Some asked people to bring a liter of rice prepared in advance and sprinkle a few red beans, challenging him to pick them out on the spot or else drink a hefty goblet of wine. One particularly bold and mischievous woman even ordered strong maids to fetch sticks and block the way, declaring that the Prince Consort could only proceed if he fought his way through himself.

These noble ladies and their strong maids were completely different from the men outside. Once they set up their “stick barricade,” there wasn’t even the faintest possibility of laying a hand on them. Failure to comply might truly result in the groom being stopped in his tracks, unable to proceed further.

Chengping was the chief of the groomsman today, and his most important duty was to help prince consort to pick up the princess smoothly. He heard the bell ringing from the inner hall, and the ceremonial officer came out and loudly announced that prince consort should come to the hall.

The princess was about to come out, but Pei Xiaoyuan was still surrounded by women outside the hall gate. He was overwhelmed, barely managing to fend off one challenge before being accosted by another. At this rate, how could he possibly extricate himself in time?

This was due to custom, and the ceremonial officer did not urge them, but just watched with a smile.

Seeing his friend stiff and awkward amidst the group of noblewomen, with sweat breaking out on his forehead and soon streaming down his face—whether from heat or sheer nervousness—Chengping hurriedly led Fan Yiguang and the others forward. They forced their way through with apologetic smiles and incessant bows, surrounding Pei Xiaoyuan to shield him as they tried to push their way ahead.

This irritated the grand princess.

She was already very dissatisfied with Chengping because of her daughter Lu Wenjun’s matter. Now, seeing him recklessly charging into the fray, she seized the opportunity to vent her frustrations. Moreover, she also heard the bell, she knew the playful delay had served its purpose. It was time to allow the prince consort to proceed so the auspicious timing wouldn’t be missed. Her eyebrows arched in anger, she shouted, “You dog, you’re asking for a beating!” She snatched the stick from the maid and hit Chengping on the head.

Most of the noble ladies followed the grand princess’ lead. Just now, she said that she would beat the prince consort, but it was just a show, for fun. Now seeing that she actually beat Chengping, hitting him on the forehead with a stick, and hitting him hard, they knew that she was blaming this Hu boy for provoking the county princess. They naturally followed suit, and let go of Pei Xiaoyuan and surrounded Chengping instead, hitting him with more than a dozen sticks. For a while, with the sound of sticks hitting flesh, Chengping’s screams of begging for mercy, mixed with the laughter of the women and the surrounding palace ladies, the outside of the hall became more and more lively.

Fan Yiguang and others took this opportunity to leave Chengping who was suffering, and embraced Pei Xiaoyuan to finally get through this hurdle.

It seemed the residual poison in his body had indeed not fully dissipated. Pei Xiaoyuan felt that this injury was entirely unlike any he had suffered before. In the past, a wound of this nature—away from vital areas—would not have affected him much. However, this time, not only did the injury throb with occasional stabbing pain, but he also clearly sensed that after a night of rest, there were no signs of improvement. Instead, his condition had worsened: his limbs felt weak, and he was drenched in cold sweat.

Just moments ago, surrounded and pulled about by the noblewomen as they teased him, addressing him as “Jade-Faced Immortal” and making all manner of blush-inducing jokes about the bridal chamber, Pei Xiaoyuan was already on edge. Amid the chaos, someone’s stick had inadvertently jabbed him in the back, striking directly at his wound. The sharp pain immediately caused a cold sweat to break out across his forehead, a ringing sound filled his ears, and he almost lost his footing. It was only through sheer force of will that he managed to maintain his composure.

Now that he had finally escaped, he no longer cared about Chengping behind him. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and walked up the palace steps.

The ceremonial officer saluted him with a smile, then led him to the east gate of the hall and gently asked him to wait.

Inside the hall, the eunuchs and the ceremonial officers holding various wedding items stood in a line on both sides of the hall. After a while, the Grand Music Officer struck the Huangzhong bell, and amid the clear and solemn bell sounds, Pei Xiaoyuan finally saw her from afar, led by the master of ceremonies, Prince Ning, walking out from the back of the hall.

She was dressed in a golden and deep-blue wide-sleeved wedding robe, its long skirt trailing gracefully on the ground. Draped over her arms was a shawl embroidered with golden phoenixes and treasure-flower motifs. Her hair was adorned with nine-tiered gold and jade hairpins, and her forehead was painted with a delicate cloud-shaped gold foil ornament. Radiant and regal, she appeared almost otherworldly in her beauty.

Pei Xiaoyuan stared at her intently, and for a moment even the pain on his shoulders and back seemed to fade away a lot. He stood there, slightly entranced, until Prince Ning led her closer. Only then did he snap back to his senses, quickly lowering his gaze.

At this time, the princess’s sedan chair arrived and lowered. Following the formal wedding rites, Pei Xiaoyuan raised his arm and lifted the curtain of the sedan.

The ceremonial officer said, “Princess, please get into the sedan chair.”

As she walked, the fragrance blew on his face. Pei Xiaoyuan stood solemnly beside the sedan chair, looking down respectfully, until he saw her skirt enter the sedan chair, then he gently lowered the curtain.

A ceremonial officer came with the goose that the Pei family had presented in advance. Pei Xiaoyuan took the goose, then knelt down and bowed to Prince Ning, presenting the goose to show his loyalty and respect for the bride.

Prince Ning smiled and ordered his attendants to take it. Pei Xiaoyuan bowed again, then stood up and left. He left the palace first and rode back to the prince consort’s residence to wait for the princess to arrive.

At the end of Xu hour (7-9 pm), it was completely dark. The princess left the palace and took a seven-treasure fragrant carriage. Accompanied by a team of carriages and horses of thousands of princes, officials, and ladies who were seeing her off, she passed through half of the brightly lit Chang’an. Amidst the pursuit and onlookers of the people of the city, she finally arrived at the Yongning Mansion of the Pei family.

The fire sticks outside the mansion were shining brightly, reflecting the straight figure of the prince consort standing outside waiting.

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