Three days later, Wen Yu’s grand wedding took place.
This time, Prince Chen’s palace did not cause any more trouble, and the wedding ceremony proceeded entirely according to protocol.
The wedding attire Wen Yu wore was no longer the set she had when departing from Pingzhou, but rather one prepared by the Internal Affairs Bureau of Prince Chen’s palace, paired with Prince Chen’s own wedding garments as a matching set.
Back when the Chen Kingdom was still within the pass, the textile industry in the Jianghuai region was not particularly developed. The royal palace nobility favored the colors vermillion and black, so even after Chen Kingdom retreated beyond the pass and had gone through several generations, they still adhered to the old customs.
Wen Yu’s wedding attire for the grand ceremony was primarily black, with vermillion accents only at the collar, sleeve edges, and undergarment as embellishments. Compared to the graceful magnificence of their Liang-style ceremonial robes, Chen Kingdom’s adherence to ancestral traditions carried more solemnity and authority.
The hundred officials standing in two rows outside the great hall square all wore朝服 in vermillion and black. At first glance, the entire interior and exterior of Prince Chen’s palace was a mass of darkness.
This wedding ceremony also resembled more a ritual of acknowledging authority, lacking any hint of celebration.
The vermillion felt carpet stretched from outside Prince Chen’s palace all the way to the far end of the square below the white jade stone steps.
Over Wen Yu’s black wedding attire was draped another layer of dark red gauze, with dark gold embroidered patterns that gleamed brilliantly under the sun. A peacock feather fan half-concealed her face, and behind her followed Zhao Bai, Tong Que, and a group of Azure Cloud female guards who had also changed into vermillion and black ceremonial robes. They treaded upon the red felt carpet, step by step, slowly walking toward Prince Chen’s palace atop the white jade stone steps.
Some officials, curious about Great Liang’s reputation for the foremost beauty, secretly raised their eyes to observe while bowing and cupping their hands in greeting to the new consort as she passed by them, and in that instant actually forgot to breathe.
—The noble lady of Great Liang walking slowly toward the palace under the bright sun had a jade-like profile, with cool eyes beneath her crow-black long lashes, like a clear moon. From beginning to end, she only gazed forward with neither joy nor sorrow.
This scene did not resemble a wedding, but rather like a divine goddess descending upon their Southern Chen.
The officials present completely forgot about all the various constraints between Liang Kingdom and themselves, and in this moment felt only sanctity and solemnity.
Prince Chen, along with a group of palace ministers close to him, greeted Wen Yu outside the palace. However, his gaunt cheeks made his cheekbones more prominent, the aura around him was particularly gloomy, and the way he looked at Wen Yu was even more sinister—he looked even less like a newlywed groom.
After Wen Yu ascended the white jade stone steps, following the ceremonial official’s announcement, she raised her fan and bowed to Prince Chen. Prince Chen stared at her for a long while, then gave a strange mocking laugh before perfunctorily cupping his hands and returning Wen Yu’s bow.
Zhao Bai, who followed behind Wen Yu, immediately turned cold in expression. A eunuch closest to Prince Chen saw this situation, his complexion also becoming somewhat off, and he said something in a low voice.
Prince Chen’s gaze at Wen Yu became increasingly strange and mocking.
The ceremonial official, very perceptive, quickly continued announcing the rites. The palace women from Prince Chen’s palace who were there to receive them also wore smiling faces as they gestured for Wen Yu and Prince Chen to enter Prince Chen’s palace together, temporarily covering up this conflict that was on the verge of erupting.
Everything happening outside was apparently immediately reported by attendants to Empress Dowager Jiang who was waiting inside at the ceremony. After Wen Yu and Prince Chen entered, her stern gaze, carrying a warning, first fell upon Prince Chen, then she scrutinized Wen Yu with an appraising look.
The ceremonial official called loudly for Wen Yu to remove her fan. Wen Yu slowly moved aside the peacock feather fan, and that stunning countenance—lush and beautiful as lotus in a pond, yet cool and clear as the moon over snowy mountains—was thus reflected in everyone’s eyes. Even Empress Dowager Jiang, who was accustomed to seeing beauties of the harem, couldn’t help but unconsciously widen her pupils slightly at that moment.
The hundred officials in the hall—those standing close enough in front to see Wen Yu’s true appearance—even let out gasps.
The mocking and sarcastic gaze of Prince Chen also froze for an instant when it fell upon Wen Yu’s face, then was immediately replaced by even more intense malice and hatred.
Wen Yu had been gazing straight ahead with neither joy nor sorrow throughout. With the corner of her eye, she caught Prince Chen’s several changes of expression and made silent calculations in her heart, though she showed nothing on her face.
When meeting the Empress Dowager’s gaze, her eyes did not display the same outward aggression as the Empress Dowager’s, yet there was not half a hint of yielding either.
In those few breaths of visual confrontation, the Empress Dowager was like a crimson bird in the sky, spreading its wings and crying out with flames erupting all around, battle intent fully displayed. Wen Yu, however, was like a phoenix bird perched in azure waters, phoenix eyes half-closed, completely ignoring the provocation from above. Yet with every expansion of the azure feathers around her body as she breathed, azure lotus-like ripples would bloom correspondingly in the vast and boundless azure waters beneath her feet.
Some contests are even more unfathomable when conducted without any outward display.
When the ceremonial official called loudly for the newlyweds to bow to Empress Dowager Jiang, Wen Yu finally moved her gaze away from the Empress Dowager’s eyes and, maintaining a distance from Prince Chen where another person could still stand between them, bowed toward the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager Jiang, due to that exchange of gazes with Wen Yu, inexplicably felt another surge of anger rise in her heart. Momentarily distracted, she actually delayed quite a while before allowing the two newlyweds to rise. Only after a eunuch beside her carefully called out to her once did Empress Dowager Jiang come back to her senses.
Realizing she had shown impropriety before a great assembly, Empress Dowager Jiang’s annoyance intensified, but at this moment she at least remembered this was during the grand ceremony and absolutely could not lose composure again.
Empress Dowager Jiang sat up straighter, looking majestically toward Prince Chen and Wen Yu, and said: “Rise.”
Shortly after, two palace maids from Prince Chen’s palace carried copper basins filled with clear water and walked separately toward Wen Yu and Prince Chen. Zhao Bai, as Wen Yu’s personal martial attendant, personally stepped forward to wring out the cloth in the copper basin for her to wash her hands.
On Prince Chen’s side, it was the accompanying eunuch who performed this service.
After the palace maids carrying the copper basins withdrew, another eunuch came forward carrying a tray holding meat preserved from some unknown animal. This was the joint meal ceremony that Chen Kingdom had inherited from ancestral customs, requiring the newlyweds to share food from the same animal.
Following this would be the wine-sharing ceremony and the hair-binding ceremony. Central Plains regions nowadays also retained these two ancient rites, only they were no longer performed before others, but changed to be carried out privately by the newlyweds after entering the bridal chamber.
The eunuch picked up a slice of preserved meat for Prince Chen and placed it on a small dish, respectfully presenting it to Prince Chen. After Prince Chen took it with chopsticks and swallowed it, on his already sinister face appeared a ferocious cold smile. Before all the civil and military officials, he said to Wen Yu: “This bull’s delight has excellent texture—would the Queen Consort like to taste it?”
Zhao Bai’s brows furrowed in anger, one hand already reaching for the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
For today’s grand ceremony, accompanying attendants were not permitted to wear any bladed weapons. Zhao Bai had only removed her sword that never left her side, hiding a dagger in her sleeve instead.
Tong Que and the other Azure Cloud female guards also could no longer hide the anger on their faces.
The ministers of Chen Kingdom looked at each other, clearly they also did not know beforehand there would be such a scene at the grand ceremony.
Facing such humiliation, Wen Yu’s expression still showed no joy or anger. She only raised her eyes to look toward Empress Dowager Jiang sitting in the highest position: “Dare I ask the Empress Dowager, what is the meaning of this?”
Empress Dowager Jiang’s face turned iron blue. Looking at Prince Chen who was causing absurd trouble at the grand ceremony, she sternly rebuked: “Your Majesty, how can you make such vulgar jokes with the Princess?”
Prince Chen gave a strange laugh, then very indifferently admitted his fault: “It is this king’s error. I should not have joked with the Princess or spoken such improper words.”
The eunuch carried the tray toward Wen Yu, indicating for Wen Yu to also eat a slice of the preserved meat on the plate.
But Wen Yu did not move, and Zhao Bai, who should have picked up the meat for Wen Yu to place on a dish, also did not move.
Seeing this, Prince Chen only laughed mockingly: “Princess, rest assured, this is top-quality beef from the spine, not bull’s delight.”
Hearing those three words again, Zhao Bai’s eyes carried killing intent.
Wen Yu, however, did not spare Prince Chen even half a glance. Instead, she looked toward Chen Kingdom’s ministers: “Gentlemen, you have all witnessed today how this Hanyang traveled a thousand li from within the pass to the royal court to fulfill the alliance. How has your Chen Kingdom treated this palace?”
With a wave of her pale hand, she directly knocked over the tray in the eunuch’s hands, sending it clattering to the ground. The pearl hairpins in her hair swayed with her movement as she spoke coldly: “This marriage—it would be better not to proceed at all.”
The assembled ministers were alarmed, and the Empress Dowager also showed anger on her face, saying to Wen Yu: “Princess, this action is far too childish.”
Wen Yu coldly met the Empress Dowager’s gaze: “Then in the Empress Dowager’s view, what should Prince Chen’s actions be called?”
Not a single minister dared to speak. The Empress Dowager forcefully suppressed her anger and ordered Prince Chen: “Your Majesty, will you not quickly apologize to the Princess?”
Prince Chen still maintained his indifferent attitude. After bowing once to Wen Yu, his tone was casual: “This king was discourteous. Here, this king apologizes to the Princess.”
Wen Yu remained silent. Behind her, each of her attendants glared at the people of Prince Chen’s palace like tigers and wolves.
The old ministers of Chen Kingdom also felt that their own king had been excessively absurd today, and took the lead in bowing to Wen Yu: “We implore the Princess to calm her anger—”
Seeing all the assembled ministers bow their heads to Wen Yu, Empress Dowager Jiang felt quite uncomfortable in her heart. However, she had already experienced Wen Yu’s temperament and knew that if there were any more discourtesy today, Wen Yu would absolutely throw down her role and leave right in the middle of the grand ceremony. She could only suppress her temper and instruct the ceremonial official beside her: “Continue the ceremony.”
The eunuch quickly brought another plate of sacrificial meat from outside the hall. Wen Yu, however, had no intention of touching her chopsticks. Without looking at Empress Dowager Jiang or Prince Chen, she only stared at the assembled ministers and said: “The marital alliance between Chen and Liang Kingdoms was requested by Prince Chen who personally went to our Liang lands to petition my late Imperial Father when he was still living. At that time, your Chen Kingdom faced internal troubles and external threats. It was my Imperial Father who lent troops to help you repel the Western Ling. After my Imperial Father’s passing, your Chen Kingdom’s envoys came to Pingzhou for the wedding procession and were discourteous. This palace sent a letter dissolving the engagement back to the royal court, and it was your Chen Kingdom that sent another envoy to apologize and added two provinces and one million shi of grain as betrothal gifts. This palace believed you were sincere in forming this marital alliance, and only then came to this Chen land.”
Chen Kingdom’s ministers were made even more unable to raise their heads by Wen Yu’s words. The Liang ministers who had escorted the bride and were temporarily staying in Chen Kingdom all had faces full of indignation. The military officers were so angry their faces turned red and necks thick, while the civil officials had tears brimming in their eyes, pained by the treatment Wen Yu had received.
Wen Yu’s eyes held a cold gleam, not stirring even a trace of anger, yet the words that fell were like shattered ice rolling across a jade plate, each one crystal clear: “But your Chen Kingdom’s actions today are sufficient to be recorded in the annals of history as a source of mockery for future generations.”
Having said this, she directly flicked her sleeves and departed.
The ceremonial official stood frozen in place, hurriedly looking toward Empress Dowager Jiang. After receiving the Empress Dowager’s signal, he could not care about much else and directly called out in a drawn-out voice: “The ceremony is complete—”
The assembled ministers were all whispering to each other, discussing in confusion.
Empress Dowager Jiang also had no heart to continue watching this mess. Leaving behind the words “Since the ceremony has been completed, gentlemen may retire,” she was supported by her trusted palace attendants as she left the great hall.
—
As the new consort of Chen Kingdom, Wen Yu’s residence was Zhaohua Palace where Chen Kingdom’s consorts of past generations had lived. After Prince Chen ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Jiang had already moved to Lingxi Palace, so Zhaohua Palace had been vacant for a long time.
Before Wen Yu’s phoenix carriage arrived at the royal court, Zhaohua Palace was only then ordered cleaned by Empress Dowager Jiang.
After the auspicious day for the grand wedding was set, Wen Yu needed to reside in Prince Chen’s palace after the wedding ceremony. Zhao Bai had again brought people to personally manage Zhaohua Palace before the wedding, supervising the servants below to move all of Wen Yu’s belongings inside.
Therefore, although today’s wedding ceremony ended hastily before completing all the rites, Wen Yu’s residence still changed from the guesthouse to Zhaohua Palace.
The servants allocated to Zhaohua Palace by Empress Dowager Jiang were all arranged to the outer courtyard, doing insignificant tasks.
Inside and outside Zhaohua Palace, it was still guarded tightly by the Azure Cloud Guards.
At dusk, Wen Yu had already bathed and changed into ordinary clothes, sitting as usual at her desk handling official documents.
Tong Que, who had sent people out to gather information and returned, held a feather duster dusting nonexistent dust on the flower vases, her entire being seeming to hold back a surge of energy.
Wen Yu did not look at her, yet seemed to be aware of her every movement. As she turned the page of the memorial in her hand, she asked: “What is it?”
Tong Que, gripping the feather duster, seemed to find it difficult to speak: “I heard that Prince Chen went to… went to Xinyu Palace after the grand ceremony.”
Fearing Wen Yu did not know who resided in Xinyu Palace, Tong Que gritted her teeth and said: “That palace houses, according to what was heard, a woman Prince Chen brought back from a brothel outside the palace, who has long been favored in the royal palace.”
What angered her was clearly not where Prince Chen had gone, but that after deliberately humiliating Wen Yu at the grand ceremony, Prince Chen turned around and went to a brothel favorite’s palace—this would appear to anyone as not taking Wen Yu seriously.
Wen Yu clearly did not take this matter to heart. She calmly raised her eyes: “If he had entered my Zhaohua Palace, I would have found it filthy.”
Tong Que worried: “Princess, then how shall we conduct ourselves in the future?”
Wen Yu gazed at a row of long-necked palace lanterns lit in the distance: “The Empress Dowager and Prince Chen are not clear-headed, but there are plenty of clear-headed people in Chen Kingdom’s court. For every slight they give this palace, this palace will have sufficient grounds to demand it back from the court.”
After deep night fell, accompanying her to sleep in the bedchamber hung with red silk was still only that carp wood carving she kept pressed under her pillow.
—
The next day, the Liang ministers who had escorted the bride to Chen lands needed to depart and return within the pass. Wen Yu prepared carriages and personally went outside the city to see them off.
When they came, there were three thousand troops and horses. On the return journey, only several hundred people needed to return to Liang lands.
Military Officer Tan Yi, who was responsible for this bride escort mission, clasped his fists toward Wen Yu from beside his horse: “Princess, we humble ministers shall return now.”
Even though Wen Yu had become Chen Kingdom’s Queen Consort in name, in the hearts of Liang ministers, she was still only their Great Liang’s Princess.
Wen Yu nodded toward the assembled ministers from in front of her carriage, then said: “When you return to Pingzhou, no matter who asks, only say that this palace is well in every way at the royal court.”
Tan Yi felt a pang of sorrow in his heart upon hearing this. Those who would ask after Wen Yu’s situation, aside from Chen Wei and Li Xun, would only be Li Yao.
But Li Xun had already gone to the front lines with Fan Yuan. Only Chen Wei and Li Yao remained in Pingzhou. The “no matter who” in Wen Yu’s words was likely because she feared Li Yao would worry about her.
These teacher and student had not seen each other again right up until Wen Yu departed beyond the pass. He was Fan Yuan’s trusted aide and also knew the two had developed a rift because of Xiao Li. Although he felt regret over Xiao Li’s circumstances, he also understood that since ancient times, which enlightened ruler has not had a few death-loyal ministers who thought only of the emperor’s interests?
Tan Yi sighed deeply and once again clasped his fists toward Wen Yu: “This humble general understands.”
After the Liang ministers’ carriages and horses had traveled far, Wen Yu also returned to her carriage, which drove back toward Prince Chen’s palace.
Tan Yi reined in his horse at the sand dunes, looking back at Chen Kingdom’s royal capital, and said with mixed feelings: “The Princess still feels guilty about Brother Xiao’s death to this day. Let us hope Brother Xiao’s spirit can rest in peace.”
—
Tongzhou.
The sun was scorching, and even the cicada calls seemed to drone on noisily, one scorching cry after another. Xiao Li propped himself against the table in front of the sand table, concentrating on the rising and falling terrain depicted within.
“Second Brother! Second Brother!” Outside the command tent, Zheng Hu hurried over, his face and neck sunburned to a dark red, his entire body radiating heat.
His thoughts interrupted, Xiao Li raised from the sand table a handsome face carrying an air of wild freedom, using his gaze to question Zheng Hu about what matter he had come for.
From some point onward, he had developed an aura of natural authority without anger.
Being stared at by him like this, Zheng Hu unconsciously restrained all his casual manner, though his face still couldn’t suppress the excited smile: “Second Brother! Big Brother and the others followed your instructions, and while Jinzhou’s bandit Pei’s troops were entangled with Southern Liang’s allied forces, they’ve already taken out the bandit lair at Ping’an County! Now all of Tongzhou is ours!”
Hearing this good news, Xiao Li showed not much surprise on his face. He only nodded, then his gaze fell back on the sand table as he said: “Have Big Brother continue acting according to plan. Publicly fly the banner of Ping’an County bandits. If there are any developments, send word back immediately.”
Zheng Hu patted his chest: “Understood! Caution ensures a thousand years of safety, right? That Pei clan lackey from Jinzhou might still have eyes on us. Having those bandits from Ping’an County apparently competing with us means the Pei clan lackeys in Jinzhou can relax somewhat no matter what!”
Xiao Li glanced at Zheng Hu and said: “Old Tiger, you’ve also made progress.”
Zheng Hu complained: “The military advisor constantly goes on about the Thirty-Six Stratagems and Seventy-Two Stratagems. If I still couldn’t learn something, wouldn’t I be like that dumb kid Tao Kui, only able to help you guard the tent entrance?”
A Niu, standing guard outside the tent, immediately stuck his head in to refute: “A Niu is not dumb!”
Tao Kui was the formal name Tao the physician had begged Xiao Li to choose for him.
Zheng Hu knew this stubborn kid was quite persistent and had the strength of an ox. If provoked, he could pester you for an entire day. Not wishing to argue with him, he waved his hand: “Go, go, go. When adults are talking, children shouldn’t interrupt!”
Tao Kui was about to retort when suddenly a woman’s inquiring voice came from outside the tent: “Guard Tao, is the Lord within the tent?”
Tao Kui recoiled as if encountering a flood or fierce beast, instantly pulling his head back and using his sturdy frame to block the tent flap gap tightly, replying in a muffled voice: “He’s not here.”