Chapter 383 Wedding

Chapter 383: The Wedding

The eight-bearer vermilion lacquered bridal sedan came to a steady stop outside the Song family's main gate. The drums and music ceased, and the guests lined up on both sides of the courtyard to observe the ceremony in respectful silence.

Chu Ci took a deep breath and dismounted from his horse. Beside him, A Yan bounced over cheerfully and handed him a peachwood bow and three bamboo arrows without arrowheads.

Holding the peachwood bow, Chu Ci took two steps toward the bridal sedan and gently tapped on the wooden window to comfort A Xun seated inside. Then he stepped back and nocked a bamboo arrow, firing three symbolic shots toward the sedan door—the first to ward off evil spirits, the second to avert misfortune, and the third to invoke blessings. These three shots were merely part of the ritual; the arrows never actually touched the sedan.

After the archery ritual, the ceremonial officer took grains and copper coins and scattered them in a circle around the sedan while reciting auspicious blessings: "Scattering grains, gathering blessings; copper coins fall, wealth increases; the new couple enters, smooth and peaceful."

Many common children watching from the alley eyed the scattered copper coins with hungry anticipation, ready to rush in as soon as the couple entered the courtyard.

Seeing the ceremonial officer finish scattering the grains, Gui Cheng hurriedly set a heated brazier in front of the sedan. The charcoal inside glowed gently with no open flames. He then placed three bags of rice wrapped in red silk before the brazier.

Everything was prepared. Lady Gu, acting as the auspicious matron, stepped forward holding a long red silk ribbon with red knots tied at both ends. She lifted the sedan curtain, handed one end to A Xun, who sat inside, and the other to Chu Ci.

A Xun wore the ritual phoenix crown and ceremonial robes. The phoenix crown was gold, inlaid with pearls and jade chips, with no dragon or phoenix motifs. The ceremonial robe was red silk with subtle trailing lotus vine patterns along the edges, worn over a bright red cross-collared wedding robe with auspicious cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. A gold neck ring, understated yet striking, hung around his neck, set with a single large ruby to suit the occasion.

Holding a round silk fan embroidered with mandarin ducks, A Xun was helped out of the sedan by Lady Gu. Looking up, he met Chu Ci's momentarily stunned gaze.

His eyes curved into a smile as he gazed at the young man he had known for eight years, his clear, handsome eyes suddenly reddened, and his nose stung with emotion.

"New groom, save the staring for later—we need to cross the brazier now," Lady Gu reminded him kindly.

A Xun blushed. Under her guidance, he stepped onto the red felt, crossed the brazier, and then stepped over the three bags of rice one by one. With each step, Lady Gu sang out an auspicious blessing.

"First step—wealth and honor!"

"Second step—peace and health!"

"Third step—flourishing descendants!"

The newlyweds were escorted into the main hall. Zhifan and Zhimao followed behind A Xun, holding bronze mirrors to reflect his shadow, symbolizing the warding off of evil spirits and praying for safety.

Guests on both sides of the front courtyard offered their congratulations, wishing the newlyweds a blessed union.

In the main hall, Chang Jinhua sat in the seat of honor, with Song Tingzhou's father's memorial tablet placed beside her. Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan sat on either side of her.

Several clansmen who had come from Changping also sat in the hall, receiving the newlyweds' bows together.

Lady Gu stood beside A Xun, while the ceremonial officer stood before the incense table and loudly announced the ritual, presiding over the bowing ceremony.

"First bow—to Heaven and Earth!"

Meng Wan watched the two children, now grown, bowing with their backs to him before the heavens and earth deities. He suddenly turned to look at Song Tingzhou, who seemed to sense it. The two exchanged smiles, both with gratified eyes.

Both little ones were getting married—everyone was filled with emotion. Even Xue Sheng, Huang Ye, and the others stood behind, watching the ceremony with unwavering attention.

"Second bow—to the elders!"

Chu Ci and A Xun turned side by side, folded their hands across their chests, knelt with foreheads touching the ground, rose, and knelt again—slow and solemn movements.

Chang Jinhua, seated at the head, smiled warmly and pulled thick red envelopes from her bosom, which Wei Ying delivered. Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou each had their own prepared as well.

A Xun tucked the red envelopes away and called out, a little embarrassed, "Grandmother, Father, A-Die!"

In Meng Wan's eyes, A Xun seemed to shrink for a moment, turning back into that tiny little bean who used to huddle under the tree with his younger siblings, waiting for him to come home.

"Rise now. May you two husbands live in harmony and share a hundred years of happiness."

"The couple bows to each other!"

The couple slowly turned to face each other. Chu Ci's usually cool features were now tinged with joy, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly—more striking than all the red silk in the courtyard.

They bowed to each other in unison. A Xun met his smiling face, his hand tightening slightly around the red silk. He lowered his lashes, their long shadows falling beneath his eyes, hiding the redness welling up in them.

"The ceremony is complete. Your bond as husbands is sealed—of one heart and one mind, growing old together!"

Chi Yu ran into the courtyard to light firecrackers. The children gathered around, covering their ears, jumping and laughing. The drums and music, which had paused, started up again. Guests offered congratulations with smiles, and the entire courtyard was filled with festive joy.

The bowing ceremony concluded. Chu Ci held one end of the red silk, leading the still-shy A Xun toward the bridal chamber in the eastern courtyard. The room inside had been prepared in advance, and the ceremonial officer and auspicious matron followed to continue presiding over the bridal bed scattering and the nuptial cup ceremony.

A Yan, Tong'er, and the others all ran off to watch the fun. Fei Geer, who arrived later, also went with the Yin family's young master to watch the bridal chamber teasing. Even Ru Niang was called over by her mother to soak up some of the festive luck.

Once everyone had left, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou had to busy themselves with entertaining the guests. After half a day of this, Meng Wan's voice was almost gone. Yet he spoke with humor and tact—whether with people he knew well or didn't know at all, he could always find pleasant conversation. He could read guests' needs from their expressions, truly satisfying both host and guests.

With the formal ceremony complete, the tableware was arranged neatly. At high noon, the ceremonial officer loudly announced the start of the wedding feast, and the main courtyard's kitchen burst into a flurry of activity.

Servants began serving dishes in sequence—sixteen courses in total: four cold dishes first, then eight hot dishes, then two soups and two desserts.

Chu Ci emerged from the bridal chamber after drinking the nuptial wine and followed Song Tingzhou from table to table, offering toasts of thanks. When encountering elders, he would bow and offer greetings. He didn't need to empty every cup—a light sip was enough. With Song Tingzhou present, no one was tactless enough to force the groom to down drink after drink.

"Madam Shen the Second, does this bear paw suit your taste?"

Meng Wan was hosting the inner-family guests in the main courtyard and made a point of stopping by Madam Shen's table to ask.

Madam Shen, having been warned by her nephew and niece at home, refrained from talking nonsense and simply nodded and said honestly, "Quite good."

Meng Wan smiled. Their whole family wore deep crimson today—not brighter than the bridal red so as not to steal the spotlight, yet both festive and dignified.

On this joyous day, Meng Wan had added two extra gold hairpins to his hair. Combined with his striking features, the ensemble added three parts more nobility to his bearing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are deeply grateful that you graced us with your presence. For the unmarried young ladies and young masters among you, we've prepared some small trinkets at home. If you don't mind, please feel free to come to the side hall and choose for yourselves after the feast," Meng Wan announced to the gathering.

Fei Geer had visited the Song residence several times and was close to his young uncle Meng Wan. Having already eaten his fill, he grabbed the Yin family's young master and ran to the side hall, with his attendant accompanying him.

Before long, the two emerged, each holding a cotton doll—about a foot tall, white and soft, with simple hair buns and a tiny hairpin. The dolls' dresses came in different styles: Fei Geer's wore a water-blue palace gown, while the Yin young master's wore an apricot-pink ru-style skirt.

The other children at the feast grew restless, unable to eat another bite. They each led their servants to fetch dolls with their servants—and sure enough, each returned with one.

The older unmarried young men and young ladies were too shy to move, though somewhat interested, they couldn't act as carelessly as the children.

Meng Wan personally fetched two and pressed them into Gu Zhiru's and Third Miss Shen's hands, saying, "These are all from our own workshop—nothing worth much. And these designs were actually drawn by Ru Niang's hand. She's just a young girl trying to learn business, so in the future, I hope you'll all show her some support."

The ladies at today's feast were all rich and noble—who among them didn't have a few shops and estates? In true scholar-official families, young ladies and young masters didn't need to learn needlework; such things were just icing on the cake. Elegance required learning qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but for daily life, the most important thing was household management.

The core education for legitimate daughters was "managing the household and running the family affairs." This directly determined their status in the clan after marriage. Whether managing the family's estates, servants, and accounts, or taking charge of the household after marrying into another family, these were the foundations of a legitimate child's livelihood and status.

This was why families valued legitimate daughters over concubine-born ones—birth status was only a small part of it. When choosing a daughter-in-law, would one entrust the family enterprise to a legitimate daughter carefully trained by the matriarch, or to a concubine-born daughter with petty ways? The choice was obvious.

But if a concubine-born daughter excelled in every way, she could still marry up.

These arts of the inner quarters were no small matter—the nuances of human relationships involved were even more complex than those among court officials. Most were shrewd, quick-witted people.

Meng Wan's words both gave Ru Niang face and subtly promoted his cotton mill. The ladies present were all sharp cookies and naturally understood the underlying message.

Gu Zhiru's cheeks flushed slightly. She rose and curtsied, saying softly, "Thank you, Uncle Meng, for your support. And I humbly ask all the ladies and gentlemen present for their future patronage."

"Previously we only heard of Ru Niang's skill in calligraphy and painting—who knew she'd already become a master of her own enterprise?"

"Lady Gu truly knows how to raise daughters—both of them turned out so well."

Even if Lady Gu wasn't present, with Meng Wan's obvious favor and supportive compliments from familiar ladies, Gu Zhiru was praised for being sensible and capable.

Gu Zhiru was twenty this year, already old enough to be called "past her prime." Lady Gu brought her to the banquet partly to look for a new match for her.

Curious, the Third Miss Shen shifted her gaze, sweeping between Gu Zhiru and Meng Wan, toying with the doll in her hands, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

After several rounds of wine, the feast was nearly over. Alcohol dulls the senses and amplifies emotions—a few cups of warm fine liquor down the throat loosened the usual restraint, and the guests' laughter and chatter grew livelier.

It was precisely at such moments that trouble tended to brew. Meng Wan dared not be careless. Seated beside Nie Zhiyao, he took a couple of bites to fill his stomach, then rose to instruct the stage to begin the opera, casually scanning the guests at the surrounding tables.

The first opera at a wedding feast had to be auspicious pieces like *Inviting the Groom* or *The Sachet Tale*, symbolizing good fortune and reunion. What followed would be chosen from the troupe's repertoire by request.

With Princess Qin, the Lady of Marquis Zhongyi, and Nie Zhiyao, the Earl of Huien, present, it should have fallen to Chang Jinhua to ask the three to pick first. But when Princess Qin politely declined, Chang Jinhua took her at her word and immediately turned to ask the Lady of Marquis Zhongyi instead.

Princess Qin's expression soured. Prince Qin had just been reprimanded by the emperor and hadn't left the house since, brooding in gloom. First, they'd been slighted by the Shen family, and now they were being overlooked at the Song residence too—was the imperial family supposed to be treated with such disrespect?

The others had already moved to the seats before the stage to watch the opera, but Princess Qin lingered, visibly displeased. Meng Wan noticed—not just him, but many others saw her discontent.

"Is there no piece on the repertoire that pleases Your Highness?" he asked, approaching her with a smile.

"Master Meng has hired the finest Qian Family Troupe in the capital, with all famous performers—surely it cost no small sum, even grander than the banquet at our own manor. How could I not be pleased?" Princess Qin maintained her dignified air, but her tone was stiff and her face cold. Yet she dared not openly clash with Meng Wan. Little did she realize that it was precisely this hesitation—wanting to flaunt authority while being indecisive—that allowed someone like Second Madam Shen to manipulate her.

Meng Wan's smile never wavered, though inwardly he saw through her completely: she wanted to project the prestige of the prince's household but feared truly offending powerful ministers. He wasn't angry, just found it somewhat amusing.

"Your Highness is of noble status; deigning to grace our son's humble wedding feast already honors us greatly. I had intended to invite you to take your seat first, enjoy this *Inviting the Groom*, and then choose the next piece at leisure. There's no need for strict precedence—let the troupe head arrange it as he sees fit."

Princess Qin's mood improved considerably. She cleared her throat lightly. "Master Meng is far too courteous. In that case, I won't decline." With that, aided by her maidservant and guided by Meng Wan, she made her way to the most honored seat before the stage.

The others had already taken their places; seeing Princess Qin approach, they rose and gave slight bows in acknowledgment, and the tension eased.

The stage burst into clamor—gongs and drums resounded as the opera also began in the front courtyard. Actors in every role took the stage in painted faces, their melodic arias mingling with the guests' cheers, filling the entire estate with liveliness.

Joy lifts the spirit. Though physically weary, Meng Wan was full of energy. Sitting beside Nie Zhiyao, he sipped half a cup of tea and reached for the pastries on the table—he'd barely touched his food during the meal and was still hungry.

Seeing this, Nie Zhiyao pushed his own plate of sweets toward Meng Wan. "This chestnut pastry your household made is quite good—did you bring in a pastry chef from a restaurant?"

"No, I borrowed the pastry chef from Marquis Zhongyi's kitchen." Meng Wan took a bite, hiding it with his sleeve. Beneath the crisp crust was a filling of oiled chestnuts mixed with lard and honey—rich yet not greasy, melting on the tongue. It was indeed excellent.

Nie Zhiyao chuckled. "You really patch things together—how many people have you borrowed? You're not strapped for cash; why not just hire more servants?"

In grand households, there were separate kitchens for big and small meals, pastry rooms, needlework rooms, and embroidery rooms—all fully staffed. The Song household, by contrast, had servants who were jacks-of-all-trades, which matched the wages Meng Wan paid them well enough.

The only trouble was that hosting an event meant borrowing help from all over.

Meng Wan took another piece of fruit-filled pastry. "You don't get it—too many servants breed trouble. One implicates another, and others let their minds wander elsewhere. My household staff are all kids I brought back from Lingnan, with no ties to anyone here—they answer only to me."

Enough people sufficed; more only invited trouble. Meng Wan dared not hire locally in the capital, unsure whether any newcomer might be planted by some faction, especially in the current tense climate.

He exchanged a few words with Nie Zhiyao, but the opera was too loud for private conversation. Before long, Zhu Yan, who served A Yan, came hurrying over with rapid steps. Her handkerchief was clenched tightly in her hand, her lips pale as ash. She leaned close to Meng Wan's ear and whispered urgently, "Fulang, the young master seems to have been poisoned."