Chapter 140: The Grand Wedding

Chapter 140: The Grand Wedding

On August 11th, Geng Shuning returned to the Geng family from the imperial retreat.

The Geng family mansion was thoroughly inspected by Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui and Geng Shuning's eldest maternal aunt before reporting to Nanny Chen and then welcoming Geng Shuning back to the mansion.

This time, Geng Jia De Jin wanted to visit his daughter but found no way to do so.

Zhao Song personally came to guard the inner court, allowing no one but female relatives to enter.

From the main gate of the Geng family, there were three layers of guards both inside and outside, more heavily guarded than the palace.

The main courtyard no longer had a mistress, and all the concubines in the inner court were temporarily moved to another residence to avoid any potential trouble.

The Geng family members were politely asked to return to the front courtyard at the second gate.

When asked, they were told that the Empress was busy preparing for the grand wedding the next day and would visit Geng Jia De Jin before leaving, but had no time to see anyone at the moment.

Geng Jia De Jin felt bitter in his heart. As a Duke forced to divorce his wife by an imperial decree, he was probably the first.

If he had known he would lose face like this, he would have divorced the foolish Nala Shi earlier, who, for the sake of an elusive reward, listened to the distant relatives and acted recklessly, sparing the other children in the family from being despised by the imperial family.

But now, there was no chance to make amends.

It was only then that Geng Jia De Jin realized something the palace had known for a long time: his once introverted, timid, and agreeable daughter had become a competent ruler after staying in the palace for so long, no longer the obedient and soft Geng Shuning of the past.

He hadn't expected his daughter to change so much, only regretting that he hadn't been closer to her over the years, leading to a miscalculation of her character. Now, the father-daughter relationship was not as close as that with the Qi family and Guo Luoluo.

The wife of the Minister of Works, Qi Chen Shi, and Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui both entered the second gate to accompany the Empress in the grand wedding, while he, as the father, couldn't even get near the inner court.

Geng Wenyan's wife also couldn't enter the inner court and had to stay in the front courtyard, waiting for the wedding to begin.

*

On the 12th, in the middle of the night, the courtyard where Geng Shuning lived became bustling.

Qiao He, Qingfang, and Qiao Jing personally woke their mistress from bed, took her to the bathing room for a bath, applied protective balm, dressed her, and applied makeup.

Finally, they put on her wedding robe and adorned her with a pearl headdress.

It wasn't that Geng Shuning was too sleepy, but someone had gone to deliver the layout of the Anyi Palace the day before, tossing and turning in the bed curtains with her, 'explaining' the significance of the pomegranate tree and the swing, keeping her awake most of the night.

This made Geng Shuning have little expectation for the grand wedding.

After all, with the veil covering her face, she couldn't see anything, and the wedding didn't mean much since they had already been intimate. If it weren't for the symbolic meaning of the wedding, she would have been too lazy to go through all this trouble.

Geng Shuning, half-asleep and half-awake, complained in her heart, suddenly feeling a weight on her head, barely waking up, and was almost frightened by the person in the mirror.

Not to mention the dozen pounds on her head, what on earth was on her face?

As white as a ghost, why were only two small patches of her lips painted?

She knew the Qing Dynasty had such makeup, but the TV dramas made it look quite normal, so she thought it was just dramatized. Who knew... reality was more dramatic than drama!

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui, seeing her expression, snorted lightly, "This is the makeup I specially invited a blessed lady from Shengjing to apply for the Empress. Skin as white as snow, lips like cherry blossoms, only noblewomen can wear this."

Geng Shuning: "..." Have you considered the feelings of the noblewomen's husbands?

But since it was only once, Geng Shuning didn't want to offend Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui for the sake of looking better, so she accepted it.

After all, Yinzhen knew exactly what she looked like.

Even in the dark, he wouldn’t miss her lips, and lifting the veil would still give him a 'surprise.'

Thinking this, Geng Shuning smiled at Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui, "I'm worried the makeup might flake off. Should we add some gold dust?"

At least the navy blue palace robe would look better with some gold dust.

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui: "Your Majesty, hush now. This powder was taken from the Thirteenth Prince's shop."

Meaning, if the powder flakes, your shop might as well close.

Geng Shuning immediately nodded: "Alright, let's keep going. What's next?"

After the pre-wedding edict, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department handled the grand ceremonial gift-giving, where the imperial family sent gifts to the Geng family, and the dowry ceremony, where the empress's dowry was brought into the palace. All of this was handled by Yun Tao, so Geng Shuning didn’t have to worry.

As for the specifics of the wedding day, Yinzhen, with his obsessive-compulsive tendencies, meticulously planned everything with the help of his brothers Yun Tao and Yunxiang, so Geng Shuning didn’t have to concern herself.

She didn’t even ask, just waited to be a dutiful bride.

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui, having been through royal weddings and witnessed others, naturally knew the process.

"Next, we wait for the Emperor to send Prince Yi and others to present you with the golden book and seal of the empress."

"Before the auspicious hour, the golden messenger will come to escort your phoenix carriage through the Meridian Gate for the ceremony at the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

"Then, the wedding ceremony at Kunning Palace, followed by a banquet at the Palace of Heavenly Purity for the ministers and imperial relatives. That’s about it."

When Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui and others got married, the imperial princes didn’t attend, and the process was simplified, but they were still familiar with the royal wedding rituals.

Geng Shuning trusted her and took the chance to eat a milk cake brought by Qiao He, then sat upright on the kang, waiting patiently.

She had to sit upright; the navy blue wedding robe with red and gold patterns likely used several pounds of gold thread, making it stiff and somewhat prickly.

If she wasn’t careful, Geng Shuning’s delicate hands would get nicked.

Qiao He and Qingfang quickly brought several handkerchiefs to pad her hands.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long before greetings were heard outside, and Yunxiang and Yun Tao, tasked with the wedding envoy duties, arrived.

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui was momentarily taken aback and quickly stood at the door to block them.

"What? It’s not even noon yet, and the women for the makeup ceremony haven’t all shown up. Why are you here this early?"

At this time, the wedding, actually a twilight ceremony, was meant to take place in the evening, with all processes conducted in broad daylight.

Geng Shuning got up early to receive the high-ranking noble ladies, but the sun hadn’t even come up yet.

Yunxiang pouted, "Eighth Sister-in-law, do you think we wanted to be here this early? We were dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and had to wait until the palace gates opened before being sent here."

Yun Tao, seeing the Eighth Sister-in-law’s wide-eyed expression, also smiled bitterly.

"His Majesty changed the schedule a bit. The enthronement ceremony comes first, followed by the makeup ceremony, to avoid any disrespect to Fourth Sister-in-law."

Before the enthronement ceremony, Geng Shuning wasn’t officially the empress.

Noble ladies with high enough titles and ranks didn’t need to bow to Geng Shuning and could still act somewhat superior, but there were always those who might say something inappropriate.

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui came early to prepare to defend Geng Shuning, the new empress, in any verbal battles.

But the Emperor didn’t want Geng Shuning to suffer even this slight, so he broke the rules and enthroned her as empress first.

With the golden book and treasure in her hands, even the most senior noble ladies, who usually flaunt their seniority, had to kneel upon entering.

This made Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui, who had been preparing for ages, feel a bit queasy. Could these two be any more affectionate?

She glanced somewhat jealously at Geng Shuning, "Alright, our Empress is ready to receive the golden book and treasure."

Since it was an enthronement, kneeling in welcome was required. The rule was for the bride not to leave the kang, just to adjust her posture on it.

Yunxiang quickly said, "The Emperor's oral decree: the wedding ceremony is complicated, and the Empress has worked hard today. All rules need not be observed, and a handkerchief ceremony can be substituted."

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui: "..." Enough already, jealousy is getting old. The Empress surely knows what the handkerchief ceremony is.

Geng Shuning indeed knew.

Since her hands were outstretched, she casually picked up a handkerchief from her wedding dress, happily tucked it behind her ear, flicked it three times, and then took the golden book and treasure from Yunxiang and Yunxiang.

Though the enthronement ceremony seemed playful, its significance was entirely genuine. After Geng Shuning received the book and treasure, everyone present knelt and chanted in unison—

"Wishing the Empress peace and longevity! Long live the Empress, a thousand years, ten thousand years!"

The noble ladies, invited in with great ceremony, looked at the kneeling crowd in shock and confusion, exchanging puzzled looks.

What, they are kneeling already?

Shouldn't this be the time for presenting dowry gifts?

*

Upon learning that the Emperor had moved the enthronement ceremony forward, every woman present, regardless of age, felt a pang of envy.

So envious that they could barely contain their frustration, their eyes desperately searching for a chance to stare at Geng Shuning's face.

What kind of charm did the Empress use on the Emperor, making him flout all conventions to honor her so greatly?

Such a drastic change in the wedding day protocol, could there be more unsettling changes to come?

Even Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui harbored a vague suspicion, could it be that the Emperor would follow the common wedding customs and perform a kneeling ceremony to heaven and earth?

Their imaginations fell short.

The noble ladies from the Geng family forced smiles, respectfully wished the Empress good fortune, presented their dowry gifts, spoke carefully, and waited for the Imperial Guard to come with the golden scepter after noon.

Although Geng Shuning didn't have to do much, just smiling and nodding, occasionally responding with a word or two, she was exhausted by the morning.

Mainly because it was inconvenient to go to the bathroom, she didn't drink much water, only had a bite of milk cake in the morning, and was starving with a burning stomach.

Hearing that the Imperial Guard had arrived, she showed no restraint as a new bride, joyfully stood up and wanted to run out.

Oh, she couldn't run, Geng Wenyan was nervously waiting at the door to carry his sister onto the phoenix carriage.

Compared to Geng Wenyan's caution, Geng Shuning didn't care as much, smiling as she was carried, and thanked him.

Geng Wenyan was somewhat flattered, quickly shaking his head, "Sister... no, Empress, you don't need to be polite with a servant. Father is waiting outside the gate."

Geng Shuning faintly acknowledged, "The day after tomorrow, you all will follow into the palace for the banquet, don't think too much."

Geng Wenyan slightly relaxed. If his sister didn't allow, he and his siblings without rank could not enter the palace.

Fortunately, his sister did not hold the previous misdeeds of Nala Shi against them.

Thus, Geng Wenyan was satisfied. He didn't seek to benefit from his sister's status, only hoped not to offend this Empress sister.

Perhaps because Geng Shuning had softened her stance, Geng Wenyan was genuinely touched. As he helped Geng Shuning onto the phoenix carriage and watched her bid farewell to her father from afar, his eyes welled up, and tears nearly spilled.

Then, Geng Wenyan's tears were abruptly halted by the guards beside the phoenix carriage. Was that... the Fourteenth Prince, Yun Ti?

Yun Ti had spent over a year at the imperial mausoleum, and now he no longer showed the panic or sharp temper he once had. Instead, he appeared exceptionally calm.

As everyone turned their gaze toward him, after Geng Shuning completed her farewell, Yun Ti raised his voice and announced—

"Yun Ti, while at the imperial mausoleum, received dreams from Empress Xiaozhuang and my mother, informing me of His Majesty's joyous occasion. I could not bear to miss the chance to offer blessings to His Majesty and Her Majesty. Thus, I have come as the golden envoy to respectfully escort Her Majesty into the palace!"

Guo Luo Luo Ying Hui was dumbfounded.

Good heavens, having Yun Ti lead the welcoming ceremony! From this day on, who in the capital would dare claim that the Empress had driven the Empress Dowager to her death? They would surely be charged with spreading rumors and stirring up trouble!

This was a stamp of approval from the Empress Dowager's own great-grandson and son, affirming that Empress Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager 'acknowledged' her as a good daughter-in-law.

It must be said that after this incident, the image of the iron-faced, impartial "King of Hell" emperor no longer held weight in the hearts of those who knew the truth.

By the time they reached the Meridian Gate, Yinzhen himself stood on the imperial carriage, welcoming Geng Shuning to join him on the ride to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to worship their ancestors. By then, no one was shocked anymore.

The Emperor really... pulled out all the stops!

Of course, the wedding ceremony wasn't held in the Kunning Palace but in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which left no room for complaint.

The location of the ceremony didn't matter, as long as the wine was consumed, the hair was cut, the robes were tied, and the raw dumplings were eaten. That sufficed.

The entire Qing Dynasty belonged to the Emperor, and His Majesty clearly intended to make this his only grand wedding. Those who disapproved would have to wait until after today to voice their objections. No one would dare cross the Emperor on such a day.

Fortunately, aside from these slightly unconventional aspects, the rest of the rituals proceeded without further surprises.

After the wedding ceremony, the Emperor received ministers in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, while the Empress went to the Kunning Palace to receive the bows of the noble ladies. All of this followed the old customs without any changes.

Then came the palace banquet in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, which had nothing to do with Geng Shuning.

As a new bride, she only needed to sit properly in the bridal chamber, waiting for the Emperor to return after the grand feast to consummate the marriage. That would mark the end of the wedding day.

As for the subsequent rituals, such as the temple worship at the Hall of Ancestral Worship, the issuance of the imperial edict granting amnesty, the special imperial examination, and the celebration ceremony where civil and military officials paid their respects, those were matters for later.

By the time Geng Shuning could finally sit down, it was already dark, and she was practically carried into the room by Qiao He and Qingfang.

As soon as she entered, Geng Shuning weakly reached out to Nanny Chen—

"Quick, save me!"

Her head felt like it was about to be crushed, and the soles of her feet were nearly swollen from the flowerpot shoes!

For others, marriage costs money, but for her, it costs her life!

Nanny Chen was startled, muttering "peh, peh, peh" as she hurried forward.

"On such a joyous day, Your Majesty must not speak inauspicious words. Quickly, spit it out."

Geng Shuning leaned weakly against Qiao He, rolling her eyes. She didn't have the strength to spit; her mouth was so dry it felt like it was about to crack.

Because the wedding dress made it inconvenient to use the restroom, she had barely drunk any water all day!

Finally, after her headdress was removed and the gold-embroidered robes were taken off, she was helped into the bathtub. Geng Shuning let out a long sigh of relief, lying in the tub, still shaken, and spat out a "peh."

Her makeup hadn't scared that scoundrel at all. She had forgotten he had been married before, and instead, he had given her quite the 'surprise'!

She swears she'll never have another wedding in her next life!

*

If it weren't for Qiao He and Qingfang attending to her, Geng Shuning might have dozed off in the bathtub.

By the time she finally managed to climb out, Nanny Chen had already prepared a light dinner, but Geng Shuning was no longer hungry.

She collapsed weakly onto the table, "Qiao He, Qingfang, and Qiao Jing, you've all worked hard. Let others take the night shift today; you all go back and rest early."

Qiao He and the other two were indeed exhausted, having walked all the way and supported such a heavy mistress, they quietly withdrew.

Nanny Chen, however, had a few words of advice: "Mistress, don't let the food go to waste... it might interfere with important matters."

Geng Shuning shot a fierce glare, "The only important matter I have left today is to eat, drink, and sleep!"

Nanny Chen: "..." Fine, whatever the mistress says, goes.

She really didn't dare to advise further, knowing that even if the Emperor were here, he wouldn't say much more... ah, forget it.

*

Sure enough.

When Yinzhen returned to the bedroom, reeking of alcohol, he saw the little fox sprawled out under the bright wedding candles, smacking her lips in her sleep. He just shook his head and smiled, not intending to wake her at all.

He had Su Peisheng attend to him quietly, then he gently climbed into bed, carefully making room for himself, hugged Geng Shuning, and fell deeply asleep.

The day had also exhausted him, and since they had already consummated the marriage the day before, there was no need to upset this little tyrant on their wedding night.

Early the next morning, when Geng Shuning was awakened, her whole body was still sore, and seeing that it was still dark outside, her mood was especially sour.

Probably knowing she was extremely tired, Qiao He and Qingfang moved as if they were handling explosives.

Even Su Peisheng and others dared not breathe loudly, fearing to provoke the ancestor.

This lady was now a true matriarch, the kind even the Emperor would steer clear of.

Yinzhen got up early to attend the morning court, making no noise at all, leaving Su Peisheng amazed.

Actually, according to the rules, Yinzhen could have taken three days off for the imperial wedding to complete the remaining ceremonies.

But knowing Geng Shuning wouldn't be able to get up, Yinzhen chose to be diligent, claiming he couldn't let the wedding interfere with state affairs, leaving the censors who wanted to impeach him with no grounds.

Estimating that the time was right, Yinzhen finished the morning court and took Geng Shuning to the Ancestral Temple for the temple ceremony.

Then, holding hands with Geng Shuning, they went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to receive the congratulations from the princes and ministers for the royal couple.

After these ceremonies, the imperial couple had to go to the Changchun Garden to pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the retired Emperor.

The next day, on the third day of the wedding, a family banquet was once again held in the Hall of Heavenly Purity, known as the Feast Ceremony.

This was primarily to host the Empress's family and bestow the title of Duke upon the Empress's father.

Geng Jia De Jin expressed his gratitude to the Emperor at the Feast Ceremony, and only then was the entire wedding process completed.

In summary, on the third day of the wedding, Geng Shuning managed to stay awake until Yinzhen returned.

Geng Shuning leaned into Yinzhen's arms, patting her chest, still shaken, and sighed, "I will never marry again in the future!"

Yinzhen nodded halfway, then squinted and pinched her tender little face, "Who else are you planning to marry?"

Geng Shuning slapped his hand, "Stop joking, it's not like I've been married before! I mean in the next life, and the life after that, let's be together forever, and only have this one wedding, okay?"

Yinzhen's expression instantly softened. That's better.

Although he knew little fox was always sweet-talking, Yinzhen was still happy to hear it. His gaze unconsciously fell on the spot where Geng Shuning had patted, making it quiver slightly.

He quietly moved closer, his voice tinged with a hint of hoarseness, "Now that we're married, shouldn't we consummate it?"

Geng Shuning pushed him away, "Quit messing around, I have things to do tomorrow!"

Yinzhen didn't mind her teasing resistance and slowly started unbuttoning the annoying buttons.

"What else do you have to do?"

Geng Shuning hummed, tilting her neck back, helpless against the man's now too proficient charm offensive.

He was using his muscles to massage her!

"Just once, I've got three big things to tackle tomorrow! You can't delay my important matters!"

Yinzhen chuckled at her remark, "I thought you knew, this is the Hall of Mental Cultivation?"

What palace are you talking about? The reconstruction of Anyi Palace had just begun, and with his specific instructions, it was still a long way from completion and moving in.

Geng Shuning choked, "Can't I still call myself 'this palace' even here?"

Then should she use 'We' like you do, hehe~

Yinzhen smoothly tossed their clothes out of the bed canopy and gently traced the outlines of the side halls of the Hall of Mental Cultivation with his lips and tongue, then gently covered Geng Shuning's lightly bitten cherry lips.

He murmured with a smile as their lips met: "You can call yourself 'mistress' in front of me, I'm waiting for you to turn over and be the master..."

Geng Shuning: "..." Is this 'master' thing even proper?

She only felt a blur before her eyes, and her boyfriend's handsome face, tinged with a hint of green, changed positions.

Geng Shuning fought against his expert seduction, trying hard to roll to one side.

"I don't want to, I'm too tired, I'd rather not be the master, I really have important things to do tomorrow... mmm!"

Yinzhen let her, like a little turtle, struggle... not too hard, as she whimpered and rolled into the bedding.

After she had exhausted herself panting, he leisurely embraced her from behind and began the main event.

"I thought, for the Empress, the most important should be me, isn't that right?"

"Your three big tasks, surely one of them is for me? Empress, first make sure I'm clear, then go and deal with others, okay?"

Geng Shuning: "...That, that makes sense, wuwu~"

But she hadn't even started yet, and this man's legs were almost giving out!