Chapter 394 Wedding Ceremony
Chapter 394 Wedding Ceremony
Wang Yan kept his promise and came to Xuchang to attend Shao Xun's wedding.
Neither his son Wang Xuan nor his daughters Wang Jingfeng and Wang Huifeng came.
Wang Xuan was at home sweeping the graves and entertaining guests, but Wang Huifeng was not interested, and Wang Jingfeng was upset.
As Grand Marshal, he sat with Cao Fu.
Also nearby were Xun Fan, Liu Tun, Zheng Yu, Pei Kang, Yang Jiongzhi, Lu Zhi and others - wow, all the key figures from the court and local areas were present, I'm afraid even the emperor wouldn't have so many people at his banquet.
The wedding was already halfway through and everyone was a little drunk.
Wang Yan looked up and saw a group of young men in their twenties sitting in the southeast corner of the courtyard. They were kneeling behind a table with their backs straight. They drank the wine in one gulp, looking very generous.
He knew that they were all officers of the Silver Spear Army, and of relatively high-ranking ones.
Once upon a time, this type of military strategist was not even considered a good person. But today, in the sixth year of the Yongjia era, they have gradually emerged as a force that cannot be ignored.
It’s actually not surprising.
Their "Master Shao", the greatest military strategist in Henan, has married the daughter of a prominent family in Yingchuan. This fact in itself announces the rise of the military strategists' power.
"All the wise men have come." Wang Yan laughed with mixed feelings and said, "Even from a place as far away as Xuzhou, there are scholars coming to congratulate us."
Xun Fan smiled and said, "Mr. Chen was originally from Xuzhou, so he is just an ordinary person."
Except for the Wang family of Donghai, none of the families that came here are from big families.
For example, the Pengcheng Liu family, the Donghai Mi family, the Lanling Xiao family, the Donghai He family, etc., are all inconspicuous small families in the local area.
Even the local tyrants in Xuzhou came to attach themselves to him.
The Xuzhou native tribe whose surname was mentioned just now was one of them. Although he was not invited, he sent his eldest son to congratulate him, and he just left after dropping the gifts, showing his eagerness to curry favor with the emperor.
After Wang Yan put down his wine bowl, the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.
Jingfeng clearly came back from Gaoping in the same car with Mr. Chen, but - nothing happened.
One step at a time, one step at a time.
A moment of hesitation leads to missed opportunities.
When he finally decided to give up his face and was willing to marry his daughter to Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen reached a new level.
When he hesitated for a long time and decided to lower his standards and give up some face, Mr. Chen seemed to lose interest again.
After thinking about it, it's always because of face.
Wang Yan picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
However, when he thought of his daughter Huifeng's cold eyes, he hesitated again.
That’s all! Wang Yan sighed.
Pei Kang glanced at Wang Yan and felt a little comforted.
What is this old man planning? Do you think I don't know? Seeing him being humiliated, Pei Kang was very proud.
But he soon thought of his daughter's situation and his mood was not so good.
She has no status and her belly is already big, what is she thinking? At the very least, she should be given the position of a wife, so that the child born can still be a legitimate son or daughter.
After thinking it over, he simply clinked glasses with Wang Yan and they each drank.
Inside the temporary accounting office, Hu Wu Fuzhi looked at the numbers of various silks, jewellery, gold and silver utensils, fine horses and jades on the gift list with his mouth wide open, unable to close for a long time.
Only after he picked up the wine bowl and took a sip did he calm down.
Getting married is actually a great way to make money!
If Mr. Chen had married a few more wives, wouldn't he have instantly become the richest man in the world like Shi Chong?
I’m rich, really rich.
He put down the wine bowl, pushed open the window on the back wall, and looked at the vehicles parked in a haphazard manner, his eyes shining.
How much wine can I buy with this? I'm afraid I can't finish drinking it even if I drink it till I die! Even if I bring my son along, I still can't finish it!
Lord Chen is truly a powerful figure in the Central Plains, and there are so many people who curry favor with him.
It may not have been obvious in the past, but on the wedding day, even if they are not invited, many people don’t mind giving gifts to establish good relations.
After sighing for a while, he sat back at his desk and continued to keep accounts.
The wedding was almost over at this time. Cai Cheng hurried in and handed him a new gift list and asked him to write it down.
Hu Wu Fuzhi picked it up and was stunned.
It turned out to be a gift sent by Empress Liang: a purple gauze jacket, a crimson gauze embroidered gauze jacket, a seven-color cup with a brocade quilt, a crimson stone cup with a brocade quilt, a purple and green gauze embroidered tassel double skirt, a jade vase...
There are dozens of items in total, most of which are used in the palace.
I heard that Empress Liang and the young lady from the Yu family had known each other since childhood and had a close relationship. It seems to be true.
But - was this sent secretly without the emperor's knowledge? Hu Wufuzhi laughed twice and took another sip of wine.
The guests outside had gradually left, and the servants and bodyguards began to clear the table.
Hu Wu Fuzhi sat in the account office with his legs crossed. Suddenly he laughed and said, "When I saw Mr. Chen tilling the fields, I knew he would be here today. How great!"
After laughing, he picked up the wine jug and drank it all.
A thriving shogunate and a growing force can make people feel excited and passionate.
I feel much more motivated!
******
Yu Wenjun sat nervously in the bridal chamber, looking outside from time to time.
She felt conflicted, as she couldn't wait to see her husband, but she was also a little scared.
In the end, only shyness and sweetness remain.
From today on, she is a married woman.
The four concubines were also in the room, each busy with their own things.
Some were warming wine and cutting meat, some were making beds, some were preparing ribbons, and some were preparing utensils. After a while, footsteps were heard.
Everyone became nervous, and Yu Wenjun was so frightened that she sat upright.
Shao Xun stood at the door and saw his wife at a glance. He smiled slightly and walked in.
"Husband...husband, please share the same cell." Yu Wenjun stood up and saluted, saying nervously.
"Okay." Shao Xun stepped forward and held her hand, comforting her, "You still have a lifetime to live with, don't be nervous."
Two red clouds floated on Yu Wenjun's face again. She gently broke free from her hands and sat to the west.
Shao Xun sat on the east side.
Xun gently cut the meat and placed it between the two of them.
They each took a chopstick, picked up a slice of meat, and put it in their mouths to taste.
This is called "eating from the same pot", which means that the newlyweds eat from the same plate of meat. It is also the first meal they eat together after their marriage, implying that they will start living together.
Shao Xun ate while looking at his newlywed wife.
Yu Wenjun seemed to feel his gaze, her face became redder and redder, and she even trembled slightly.
The plate of meat was quickly finished.
Guanqiu brought a jar of wine, and Xiaoyu brought two gourds tied together with colorful knots and handed them to the two men respectively.
This is called the "Heqin" ceremony, in which the newlyweds drink from each other a gourd of wine, also called the "jiaobei wine".
"卺" means a wine vessel, which is a ladle made by splitting a gourd into two halves.
The couple drinks the wedding wine together, symbolizing their union and eternal love. Because the gourd is a bit bitter, it also means that the couple will share the joys and sorrows in their future life.
In addition, there is a saying in "Book of Rites: Wedding Ceremony" that goes "bringing wine after drinking the wedding cup together".
"酳" means to gargle. Gargling is used to clean the mouth and to make food more comfortable.
This ladle of wine can also be used to rinse the mouth after eating meat.
After the two finished drinking, Shao Xun was still fine, but Yu Wenjun was already a little dizzy.
Shao Xun put down the ladle and went forward to hug her.
Yu Wenjun had not yet fully grown up and her height was only up to his shoulders.
Shao Xun whispered in her ear: "After waiting for ten years, I finally got to marry my wife home."
Yu Wenjun buried her face in his arms and held his waist tightly with her hands.
She just felt that her life was so perfect and so happy.
She married a heroic figure whom she had known since childhood and whom she admired very much. And he had long admired her and wanted to take her home. Could anything be more perfect than this?
She felt drunk, and not just from the alcohol.
From now on, she will be the mistress of this family. She must serve the elders well, manage the household business, and support her husband and raise her children.
The concubine Yin glanced at the two of them and threw the drinking cups they had just used under the couch. One of them was facing up and the other was facing down, which was considered a good omen.
The noise startled the two people who were hugging each other.
Xun walked up to Yu Wenjun and whispered something in her ear.
Yu Wenjun's face immediately turned redder than ever.
Guanqiu also came over and helped Yu Wenjun undress together with Xun.
Yu Wenjun felt her whole body was extremely stiff, and she mechanically let the two concubines take off her clothes one by one.
Xiao Yu began to make the bed.
Yin came over with a red face and helped Shao Xun undress.
As she was undressing, the hands of this pretty girl began to tremble and she dared not look.
After undressing, Yu Wenjun felt weak all over and almost collapsed.
Shao Xun gently picked her up and climbed onto the bed.
The four concubines all withdrew and moved into the next room.
"Husband..." Yu Wenjun lay on the couch, looking at Shao Xun who was lying down gently, and called out in a tearful tone.
Shao Xun felt that his wife was too nervous, so he gently stroked her face and whispered in her ear: "I used to think that I was unlucky. There were always people trying to harm me, and there were always accidents in battles. Later I realized that all my luck was spent on marrying you, Wenjun."
Yu Wenjun chuckled and said, "Are you lying to me?"
"No."
"If you lied to me—"
"how?"
"I'd be sad."
"No." Shao Xun blew air into her ear and whispered softly.
Yu Wenjun was a little confused.
After a moment, his eyes suddenly widened and he grasped the bed towel tightly with both hands, with such force that his nails were almost broken.
Tears rolled down her eyes.
She didn't know why she was crying, as if she had lost something precious.
(End of this chapter)