Chapter 185: The Grand Wedding (Part I)

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the day came when Guan Liang Han led his troops back to the capital along with the defeated Tian Jin, who had sent envoys to offer a letter of surrender. The Emperor was supremely happy, and a whole host of rewards was conferred on Guan Liang Han. However, no one was paying any attention to this at present; all eyes were focused on Jiang Ruan's wedding because on the fifth day of Guan Liang Han's return to the capital was the day of Jinying Wang and Hong'an Junzhu's wedding. Since Jiang Ruan was, in name, a member of the royal family, the event was managed by the Empress Dowager. Meanwhile, however, there was no movement from her actual family, the Jiang fu.

Recently, it had been snowing east of the river, lightly falling and covering the land.As she prepared for the wedding ceremony, Jiang Ruan sat in the inner room, as Yao-shi, the Zhao family's Second Madame, watched the xi niang[1] use a multi-coloured thread to remove Jiang Ruan's facial hair. Second Madame Zhao was always grateful to Jiang Ruan for saving Zhao Feizhou, and speaking of the General fu, the womenfolk were exceedingly gentle and kind-hearted. In the years since learning that Jiang Ruan was Zhao Mei's daughter, they had often sent her gifts. Besides, even though she was getting married, Jiang Ruan's own family, the Jiang fu, was giving her the cold shoulder, and Jiang Quan could not be bothered with her at all. Additionally, Xia Yue was from the Xia family and while, on the surface, it looked like she was making some effort, in reality, there was no close relationship between them. But in contrast, just looking at wedding gifts alone, the Zhao family had sent twenty platforms of such gifts. And, on top of that, Zhao Guang had sent twenty thousand in silver banknotes and the title deeds to shops, merely saying that this was the dowry which they had never sent with Zhao Mei when she married into the Jiang fu, and which was now being given entirely to Jiang Ruan.

[1] 喜娘 (xi niang) - the woman who helps the bride and manages the ceremony etc.

It was not possible to decline such a gesture, and the Zhao family treated her with utmost sincerity. As Yao-shi watched over Jiang Ruan, she also talked about how husband and wife should get along after marriage, which caused Jiang Ruan to blush a little. And so, with some difficulty, Jiang Ruan found an opportunity to send Yao-shi out, whereupon Lin Zi Xiang remarked, while munching on dried fruit from the table pasted with auspicious red characters, "I doubt you heard a word of what your Aunt was saying to you. In truth, I'm really quite curious, how are you and Xiao Shao going to get along after your marriage? Tsk tsk, I cannot imagine it at all."

Wen Fei Fei held her forehead and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? You are not married right now, but when you do you will naturally know. Ruan Meimei, you are so gentle, and you are a natural beauty; There are no mother-in-laws and sisters-in-law in the Jinying Wangfu, so the days of your life will just get better and better." Wen Fei Fei had almost fainted at the gate of the Jinying Wangfu when she last visited, and subsequently discovered that she was pregnant after she returned home. Truthfully, she had not been very happy with her life in the fu, but her pregnancy caused her to be almost worshipped by her in-laws. Thus, she could be considered as reasonably experienced with matters of the back residence. Therefore, upon seeing that Jiang Ruan would not have to wait upon a mother-in-law or sister-in-law, she was naturally happy for her.

"What does this have to do with whether one is beautiful or not?" Lin Zi Xiang immediately shot back. "If one is not beautiful, one can't get married? Where does this preposterous reasoning come from? Those who only look at outer appearances are tremendously short-sighted!" Lin Zi Xiang had always preferred a solitary life and was forthright in her opinions, so Wen Fei Fei could not argue with her, and shook her head helplessly.

Zhao Jin smilingly smoothed things over by saying, "Why are we talking about this? Today is Ruan Meimei's day of exultation, and now I'm going to bring out my bridal gift. Ruan Meimei has seen too many good things, so don't fault my gift for being simple and crude." As she spoke, she drew out a little box from her sleeve.

The box was dark and unpolished, with nothing out of the ordinary about it. But in fact, it looked rather ridiculous. As Jiang Ruan received the gift, Lin Zi Xiang spat out a mouthful of tea and asked, "What on earth is this? A piece of stone? In any regards, you should have at least found a nicer-looking box."

"Stone?" Zhao Jin quickly answered when she heard these words. "This is black dysprosium stone which my Eldest Brother brought back from Xirong. It doesn't look like much, but in terms of durability, there is nothing like it. Even if you place it in the fire for three days and three nights, it will be unscathed. It is a treasure which no amount of money can buy." Giving a bridal gift of this nature was totally in keeping with Zhao Jin's personality. Jiang Ruan felt at a loss; what was the use of a box like this? She could not even store jewellery in it.

"Open it and take a look, I personally asked Bao Yue Lou to craft what's inside," Zhao Jin said, a look of anticipation on her face. Jiang Ruan accordingly opened the box and found a ring inside. Well, it could be called a ring, in a manner of speaking, but what it definitely was, was a black loop, with a gold lump on top. No matter how calm Jiang Ruan was ordinarily, when directly confronted with this piece of 'jewellery', she could not help choking slightly.

Wen Fei Fei and Lin Zi Xiang coughed when they saw the ring. Zhao Jin's perspective on how to select jewellery had always been somewhat . . . different. Normally, it was not too bad when her sisters were watching her, but if she were left to her own intentions, the result would not be acceptable to the eye. For example, the heap of gold beads on top of this ring was enough to render anyone who saw it weak in the knees. Even if Jiang Ruan wanted to accept her love, such jewellery was really too eye-catching.

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and said, "Thank you."

"No need to be courteous," Zhao Jin said smilingly, "This ring is also made of black volcanic rock and is very durable. In future, should anything happen, you can probably make it into a knife. But, I thought about it, and in the end, you are still a young lady, and can't possibly wear such a plain ring. So, I asked the master craftsman of Bao Yue Lou to add a little decoration. Isn't this gold flower pretty?"

It would have been far better not to add it. Lin Zi Xiang had already turned her head away, unable to bear looking at the ring, and Jiang Ruan's mouth was rather stiff. However, she still accepted the ring and said, "It's very pretty." Zhao Jin's selection of jewellery was akin to her selection of weapons. As long as an item was hard, durable, and sharp, it was bound to be beautiful.

Relieved, Zhao Jin said, "If you like it, that's all that matters."

Lin Zi Xiang and Wen Fei Fei pulled Zhao Jin away and presented their own bridal gifts. Wen Fei Fei's gift was a head ornament set with a pair of south sea pearls, each pearl big and round, absolutely beautiful. Lin Zi Xiang's gift was a rare ancient text, which she emphatically explained was a family heirloom, and the only one of its kind in the entire world. She was giving it to Jiang Ruan because she felt a fated connection with her. Jiang Ruan looked at the tattered, curled up pages of the book, and felt extremely helpless.

By the time Yao-shi returned, xi niang had finished threading and had started applying Jiang Ruan's makeup. As she did so, she remarked, "Miss was born beautiful, so there is no need to apply powder that is heavily coloured. This xi niang has done the makeup for so many brides, but has never seen such a beautiful one."

Lian Qiao and several others who were standing behind Jiang Ruan laughed in unison. When xi niang had cleaned up, she smiled and said to Yao-shi, "We're done. Now, come and see, is the bride beautiful?"

Jiang Ruan stood up. She was wearing a crimson wedding dress today, and it had not been noticeable when she was sitting down, but once she stood, the impression given was that her entire body was glowing with vibrant colour and brilliant light, and the brilliance was almost enough to burn people's eyes. Her facial features had always been bright, but her smile was both gentle and detached, which suppressed the brightness by several degrees and caused her to look less frivolous. Just now, xi niang had painted her eyebrows and applied rouge; her skin was whiter than snow, her lips were like cherry petals, her eyes had been drawn to point upwards at the corners, and she had been dusted with sparkling gold powder. She was truly astonishingly charming. Her wedding clothes were like fire, but she looked like an alluring spirit in the midst of a cluster of flowers, and every movement was vividly beautiful and fragrant. Even though there were only a few women in the room, their eyes were all drawn to her.

"Ruan Meimei, you are truly beautiful," Zhao Jin said, looking as if she had been struck dumb, "just as if you had stepped out of a painting."

"Before today, I thought that I looked beautiful on my wedding day, but now, looking at you, I know what it means to pale in comparison. I have always known that Ruan Meimei is beautiful, but I never knew that you were so stunning- enough to cause the collapse of a country," Wen Fei Fei declared.

Yao-shi also could not help but exclaim in admiration. Previously, she had heard Zhao Yuan Ping say that the little sister of the Zhao family, Zhao Mei, had moved many people with her passion in her youth, and was as dazzling as a ball of fire. And, now, in the figure of this niece, it was possible to see the graceful charm of Zhao Mei from back then. Jiang Ruan usually suppressed her bone-deep beauty, but now that she had completely released it, she was unbelievably stunning. One could only feel that such an extraordinary beauty was capable of destroying the entire country, and its people.

Lin Zi Xiang had always been exacting, but now, she was silent for quite a while before saying, "This wedding dress makes you look a little like a beauty." Everyone did not know whether to laugh or to cry. Then, several womenfolk from the Zhao family entered and they all chatted until the sky became brighter and the bridal escort party[2] arrived. Xi niang hurriedly said, "Miss, please get up." She then placed the small, delicate phoenix crown on Jiang Ruan's head and let down the bridal veil. Yao-shi came over to escort her out.

[2] 迎亲 (ying qin) - this refers to the party sent by the groom, with a bridal sedan chair, to escort the bride back to the groom's house.

The bridal escort party from the Jinying Wangfu was approaching the gate of the Jiang fu. The Jiang fu was the bride's family home, after all, so the bridal sedan chair had to be carried to its gate. Empress Dowager Yi De did not personally attend the ceremony, but she had sent Yang gugu with wedding gifts, which was her way of supporting the occasion. When Jiang Ruan left her room, the onlookers were dazzled by her gorgeously splendid wedding dress. The young ladies present, and even those who were married and were now furens, could not help but take a deep breath on beholding her. Just as Lu Zhu said, it was as if Jiang Ruan was wearing the splendour of an entire minister's fu on her person. Even the Empress' court dress did not look so splendid.

The bridal sedan chair was now at the gate. As Jiang Ruan and her party reached the gate, she heard firecrackers going off outside. She opened the gate which had been closed in order to 'block the bridal sedan chair'. Zhou-shi, Zhao family's First Madame, then rose to her feet, holding a red candle in one hand and a mirror in the other. She walked to the bridal sedan chair and shone the light inside, to expel the malicious ghosts who were hiding inside, thus 'searching the sedan chair'[3].

[3] T/N: When the sedan chair is stopped outside, it's shone inside of it to chase/expel any hidden ghosts that still have grievances to the couple. So this is part of ensuring the past doesn't bother them. The process is a symbolism of the blessings to the couple for a good and lovely happy future.

The sedan chair with its eight carriers waited outside the gate, draped with gorgeous, soft material, upon which was embroidered a multitude of children, representing numerous descendents, each one outlined with fine gold thread. Even though it was not very sunny, with the contrast of the deep show underfoot, it was enough to cause the material to glitter like a mass of golden fans. Exquisite amethysts hung, delicately gleaming, from the top of the sedan chair, each one worth more than a thousand pounds in gold. The Jinying Wangfu's show of ostentatious extravagance was simply too much. Just this soft-draped sedan chair alone represented what all the members of the household of a third-ranked government official could eat in a year.

The eight carriers were each wearing blue clothes and black, thick-soled boots; they were tall and handsome, dignified from top to toe, and extremely impressive. The young servant boys who had never seen such carriers before, as well as womenfolk, were looking at them avidly, and there were certainly some young ladies in the crowd who blushed on beholding these men.

With a smile on his face, Jiang Quan stood to one side amidst the festivities as if he were very happy. However, on closer examination, one could see that his smile was forced.

The next event was 'crying on the sedan chair'. The bride was supposed to sit on her mother's lap, whereupon her mother would feed her. However, Zhao Mei had passed away many years ago, and for Xia Yue to conduct this ritual would be too big a mockery in everyone's eyes. Also, quite naturally Xiao Shao would not allow such a situation to occur, and so he had discussed the matter with the General fu in advance. Thus, Zhao Furen, Su-shi, would personally feed Jiang Ruan.

Su-shi was Jiang Ruan's maternal grandmother. Jiang Ruan sat on her lap, and as Su-shi scooped a spoonful of rice and fed it to Jiang Ruan, Su-shi's eyes immediately reddened. Back then, Zhao Mei and Jiang Quan were considered to have eloped, so Su-shi had been unable to carry out the custom of feeding her only daughter in the sedan chair. Su-shi would forever bear the weight of that regret and pain. Today, on the occasion of her granddaughter entering the bridal sedan chair, it was as if she saw her own bright and passionate little girl. Su-shi's heart clenched, and her exhortation was uttered with heartfelt sincerity. "Daughter, oh daughter, you are being carried away, let the noise ring out! You are leaving alone, oh lead a glorious life following the ebbs and flow of time!"

After 'crying on the sedan chair' came 'carrying into the sedan chair', where the bride's eldest brother would carry her into the sedan chair. Today, Jiang Xin Zhi was wearing lotus-green clothes embroidered with auspicious symbols, and a colourful waist tie - the tie that Jiang Ruan had made for him when she was bored years ago. He walked to Jiang Ruan and bowed before picking her up. Taking the opportunity to whisper in her ear, he said, "Ah Ruan, are you ready?"

"I'm ready, Dage." Under her bridal veil, Jiang Ruan was smiling slightly. She felt Jiang Xin Zhi hold her more firmly, as if some kind of emotion was about to burst forth, but, in the end, he merely said, "Ah Ruan, from now onwards, you belong to someone else's household. If he bullies you, you must tell me. You must never allow yourself to suffer any grievances."

His words were weighty and full of silent endurance, not at all like an elder brother marrying off a younger sister, but more like a father marrying off his daughter. Jiang Ruan felt a slight urge to laugh, and she stretched out her hands to hug Jiang Xin Zhi's neck tightly. However, as she did so, she thought of the time in her previous life when she had received the tragic news of his death, and the bleakness and despair in her heart then. In this lifetime she had managed to protect Jiang Xin Zhi, and he was still by her side; this was enough for her. She smilingly said, "I know, Dage. No matter who I marry, you will always be my Dage."

Jiang Xin Zhi said nothing further as he walked towards the bridal sedan chair carrying Jiang Ruan. The young lady in his arms was the one he had watched grow up, from a babbling baby to this slender and elegant young woman. Even though she was becoming someone's wife, in Jiang Xin Zhi's heart, Jiang Ruan would always be his little sister; she would never grow older.

After Jiang Ruan was seated in the sedan chair, the person at the head of the bridal escort party finally made an appearance before everyone.

Xiao Shao was sitting atop a white colt, most likely the offspring of his treasured horse. Its entire body was pure white, with nary a single stray hair, and its flank was smooth and gleaming. And even though he was merely standing there, he gave off a clearly arrogant aura. Xiao Shao was holding the reins, wearing brand-new wedding clothes, and was indeed highly eye-catching. Hence, everyone's gaze was drawn to him, almost immediately.

Xiao Shao always handled matters in a low-key manner, and hardly ever showed himself to people in general. In addition, he had a preference for black clothes, and so no one had ever seen him wearing any bright or splendidly-coloured clothes. Today, he was wearing crimson wedding clothes, and even though his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his expression was indifferent, he still exuded a delicate charm. His features were outstanding, and he was seated high on his horse looking down on the sedan chair door. His eyes were shining, and his eyebrows were like brush strokes, and he possessed a distinguished and otherworldly elegance. His beauty was truly earth-shattering, and all who looked at him were awestruck.

Seeing him like this, Su-shi was very happy even though her eyes were full of tears. She had heard of Jinying Wang's cold and cheerless disposition, and had initially been concerned that Jiang Ruan would suffer many grievances when married. Now, she realised that she had overthought it. Xiao Shao had not been completely emotionless when he looked at the sedan chair; Su-shi had been around, so there were some situations which she saw very clearly. Xiao Shao was exceptionally handsome, his family background was perfect, and so, Su-shi was absolutely satisfied with this grandson-in-law.

Jin Er, who was distributing wedding sweets in the middle of the crowd, shook his head and said, "The four great chiefs of the Jinyi Guards have all become sedan chair carriers. Young Master has truly fallen prey to feminine charms."

When Steward Lin heard this, he immediately kicked him unceremoniously and said, "What nonsense is this, the carriers represent the Jinying Wangfu; how can we be like other fu and casually pick anyone to be the carriers? Just take a look at the people we have selected to carry the sedan chair. All of them move at the same pace, with the same gait, so it is clear at a glance that we are a family which is disciplined and places importance on training. What's more, Young Furen will be comfortable while she travels within. Their faces are good-looking and attractive. If you say such things, it must mean that you are envious of others since you've not been allowed to be a carrier."

"Thank you ah, Lao Lin," Jin Er said with a smile, "for blaming me for being born ugly. It is so shameful not to be able to represent the face of our Wangfu."

"Oh, how wonderfully self-aware." Lu Zhu was currently busy distributing small silver ingots, but when she heard Jin Er's words, she became quite cheerful, and said, "The value of man is to be found in self-knowledge."

"Still better looking than you ah," Jin Er responded with a smile.

"Why are you fighting?" Steward Lin said, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter who it is, today, everyone's role is simply to set off the good looks of Young Master. Young Master was born so handsome, if the spirits of Furen and Laoye (i.e. Xiao Shao's parents) could see him now, who knows how happy they would be."

All the sacrificial victims who were there only as part of the backdrop to Xiao Shao's beauty were completely unaware that they were no more significant than the flowerpots in the surrounding area in the eyes of Jinying Wangfu's old steward, and so they continued to join in the merry-making with the bridal party with sincere eagerness. Jiang Xin Zhi followed behind the sedan chair, which made a detour to Qian Sui Lane and San Fa Qing, in order gain the corresponding 'long life' and 'prosperity'[4]. On this journey, the people from Jinying Wangfu showed their wealth in an imposing manner, for as they walked along, they cast small silver ingots in the air, which attracted people to grab them one after another..

[4] 千岁 (qian sui) literally means 'thousand years'; 三发 (san fa) means the blessings of many children, happy family, prosperity

It would not be a lie to say that there were ladies in bright, cheerful clothes for miles around; it was doubtful that there would be such a grand scene even at the marriage of an actual princess. The people from Jinying Wangfu were all incredibly handsome, and with Steward Lin's skillful arrangements, everything was truly a feast for the eyes. Moreover, he had spared no expense. It seemed as if almost everyone in the capital had turned out to observe the bridal escort party. The women were all there to ogle at the men from Jinying Wangfu, while the men were there to scrutinise the silver of Jingying Wangfu. The fragments of broken hearts suffered by all the unmarried young ladies could have built another capital, and the countless envious gazes aimed at Jiang Ruan caused her to feel prickles up and down her back, even though she was safely ensconced in the bridal sedan chair.

After this day, there was a saying in the Great Jin dynasty, 'Better to be a servant in the Xiao family than a daughter in an official's family' - the beauties and silver that a servant in the Xiao household would see on a daily basis would far outnumber that which a young miss in an official's family would ever be privy to.

Jiang Ruan had no idea what was happening outside, but simply hearing the noise and movement led her to conjecture that it was definitely a flamboyant spectacle. This level of ostentation did not seem to be Xiao Shao's style, so it must be Steward Lin's doing. Steward Lin had been preparing for this marriage for an entire year, looking into every single detail, whether big or small. Today, he finally had the opportunity for a grand display of his skill, and he would clearly not allow it to slip through his fingers. Jiang Ruan was honestly puzzled as to how such a low-profile person like Xiao Shao could have nurtured such a flashy steward.

At present, Jiang Ruan was seated in the bridal sedan chair, which was moving along so smoothly she almost could not detect the movement. Inside the sedan chair, there was even a low table, upon which sat a box filled with exquisite pastries to ensure that she did not suffer hunger pangs en route. She smiled faintly. In her previous life, when she entered the palace to become one of the Emperor's women, she had forsaken the opportunity to wear crimson wedding clothes. Now, although this experience was unfamiliar and novel, she felt that it was not too bad.

After going around the capital once, the bridal sedan chair arrived at the Jinying Wangfu, where a large crowd of people had been waiting at the door. Xiao Shao had no relatives, and the Jinying Wangfu also had no other clansmen. Those who were there were Xiao Shao's personal friends, probably his fellow disciples and some court officials. The Jinyi Guards had arranged everything neatly, and it looked very lively.

Guan Liang Han lifted a corner of his robe and gave the signal to set off the firecrackers and start the music to welcome the sedan chair. When the sedan chair stopped, he opened the door, and a little girl, five or six years old, came forward to welcome the bride as she stepped out of the sedan chair. Jiang Ruan stepped out and crossed over the saddle on the ground with the help of xi niang and walked on the length of red fabric before proceeding to the right side of the wedding hall.

The ceremony in the wedding hall would begin with the couple performing the ritual of honouring the ancestral shrine, and the people observing the ceremony were already at one side. Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao stood to one side with joss sticks in their hands, and started to offer incense. Zhao Guang and Su-shi, seated in positions of honour, looked quite moved at the proceedings. Jiang Quan and Xia Yue had somewhat rigid expressions. They were probably trying their best to look moved, but instead came off as being particularly stiff.

There were too many people present to pay attention to them all, but Jiang Xin Zhi's gaze fell on one person: a beautiful youth who was wearing a long jacket of brocaded velvet, as white as moonlight, with a cape of snow-fox fur. His entire person was as elegant as jade, like a beautifully decked out young son from some noble family.

That person was Xuan Pei, and next to him was Liu Min, but no one knew how they had gotten there. Steward Lin had personally crafted the invitations using gold, which was a considerable expense. Hence, each invitation had been recorded in the book, and was also very precious. Jiang Xin Zhi had seen the book previously, and recalled that these two people had not been in it. In truth, Steward Lin had included Liu Min when he was drawing up the guest list, but in the end, for some unknown reason, he had crossed the name out.

Liu Min and Xuan Pei had come uninvited for some reason. In Liu Min's case, it was understandable; Jiang Xin Zhi had heard people say that he seemed to have a special regard for Jiang Ruan. But Xuan Pei was another kettle of fish entirely; why would a prince leave the palace to observe Jiang Ruan's wedding ceremony? He frowned as he asked Steward Lin, "Why is Thirteenth Highness here?"

"How would I know?" Steward Lin stroked his beard and said, "He probably wants to give Young Master face. Speaking of which, this Thirteenth Highness is very generous with his wealth. He actually gave Young Furen sixty-six He Han Fang stores. Furthermore, there's no way the Jiang family could match this kind of gesture." He Han Fang was a restaurant serving food and wine, which had outlets all over Great Jin. Just one outlet would make a steady profit, no loss at all; there was no need to talk about sixty-six outlets. This would ensure a continuous, almost uncountable income, every year, such that there would be no need to worry about food or clothes for one's entire lifetime. Leaving aside the question of how Xuan Pei, a prince, had the ability to obtain so many stores, it must be said that even Xuan Li would not have this kind of ability. What was even more astonishing is that he willingly, ceremoniously, handed over this staggering amount of wealth to someone else.

Jiang Xin Zhi frowned even more severely and said, "Those stores are all in Ah Ruan's name?"

Steward Lin clapped his hands and said, "Hearing you ask this is making me remember that they are definitely in Young Furen's name, which is rather strange. If he wants to be on good terms with Young Master, it would be unnecessary to make them out in Young Furen's name."

As they were talking, Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao completed the ritual of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, and the six-stage obeisance ceremony finally reached the last stage, where husband and wife would pay their respects to one another. Both Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan turned to face one another. As Jiang Ruan's head was covered, she could not see clearly, and her movements were also slightly hesitant. Suddenly, she felt that someone was holding her hand - it was Xiao Shao, but she did not know why he had grasped her hand. His hand was slender and icy, but it also had a strength that was reassuring as it grasped her firmly.

"Husband and wife bow to each other -" the ceremony leader called out loudly.

Both of them bowed in unison. Because of her veil, Jiang Ruan could only see her crimson skirt. There was an indescribable feeling in her heart, that this was some kind of farewell, but also a kind of beginning. No matter what, this person in front of her was the person she would live with for the rest of her life; no matter what happened, this person would always be by her side.