Outside, the commotion suddenly swelled. Ying Chun ran to the doorway, peered out, and came dashing back with a grin. “Miss, they have begun sending out the dowry!”
The young girls who could not contain their excitement crowded behind the courtyard gate to watch the spectacle outside. Servants dressed in bright new clothes with red sashes tied at their waists carried the dowry chests in pairs, moving with spirited energy as they bore piece after piece out in a long, orderly procession.
Unlike the customs of the Great Qing, where dowries were sent the day before the wedding, in the Great Qing of this world, the dowry was sent on the morning of the wedding day itself, with the bride departing only in the afternoon.
That day, the main gates of the Hua Family estate were thrown wide open. The first to emerge was Hua Bailin, dressed in fresh new finery, walking on behalf of his family to see his sister off in marriage.
Behind him came ten children of around seven years of age, each carrying a bamboo basket filled with wedding candies and red envelopes, dressed in red from head to toe — a picture of festive delight. Behind them followed chests upon chests of wedding candies and red envelopes, all of which were to be scattered along the way by the children’s hands.
Hua Bailin glanced back to confirm that everyone was ready, then signaled to the enormous wedding procession of musicians waiting outside to begin. As the festive music rang out, the dowry chests filed out one after another. The spacing between each chest was precisely and evenly maintained, as though measured by a ruler, and the bearers moved with a rhythmic cadence that made the chests bob gently up and down.
The children from the neighboring Lin Family laughed and ducked through the gate to beg for wedding sweets. Hua Bailin grabbed a large fistful and gave it to them, and they followed the procession all the way to the end of Hualin Lane.
When they reached the main road, even Hua Bailin, who had anticipated the crowds, was startled by the sea of people who had gathered to watch. Then his spirits rose even higher. As long as half of these people were offering his eldest sister their genuine blessings, it was enough.
He was the first to reach into the basket, pulling out a fistful of candy and flinging it into the air with an open hand. The children followed without delay, tossing wedding sweets and red envelopes into the crowd in every direction. A scramble instantly broke out, with people calling out auspicious words and good wishes. Whenever anyone did so, Hua Bailin made a point of throwing an extra handful their way.
Both the Hua Family and the Prince Regent’s estate were situated in the northern part of the city. The Hua Family had been rooted in Hualin Lane for generations; even at the height of their standing, they had only ever expanded the scale of their property rather than relocating, so their position, truthfully speaking, was already at the outer edge of where the noble families clustered. The Prince Regent’s estate, on the other hand, had been converted from a Shizi’s residence — the very site chosen by the Emperor himself, constructed as a Shizi’s compound with supremely convenient access to both the palace and the city gates. When it was elevated to a prince’s estate, the standard was raised even higher.
If one were to take the most direct route, the two residences stood no more than four or five li apart. But the Hua Family’s intention was to give their eldest daughter a magnificent send-off — and four or five li was simply not enough for that purpose.
And so the Hua Family had re-plotted the route, selecting the longest possible path. Ten li of crimson splendor required ten li of road.
The commoners who had positioned themselves along what they assumed was the natural route found themselves puzzled when the procession wound away in a completely different direction, and hurried to catch up with the long train of attendants. When they learned the reason, they laughed in spite of themselves. Everyone had expected that the eldest Miss would be married off in magnificent style — yet no one had imagined that the normally understated Hua Family would go to such extravagant lengths this time.
Weddings between noble households in the capital had always been grand affairs, but a display of ten li of crimson bridal procession had not been seen since the Duke of Angu had married off his daughter. That daughter, too, had gone to become a princess consort — and from that union had eventually come today’s Prince Regent. And now today’s ten li of crimson was entering the very same household. One could not help but wonder whether Prince Ling would make an appearance; as the father of the groom, it was customary for him to receive the obeisance of the newlyweds.
While people on the streets were still busy wondering about this, those inside the Prince Regent’s estate were already discussing the very same matter.
The Grand Empress Dowager was dressed in ceremonial attire. Whether it was because she had left the palace, or for some other reason, she seemed to have shed much of her usual austerity and taken on the approachable warmth of an ordinary family’s elderly matriarch.
She lifted an eyebrow at her grandson, who had — she had lost count of how many times by now — yet again straightened his robes, and asked with studied nonchalance, “Your father…”
“I sent someone to inform him.”
The Grand Empress Dowager’s heart leaped. She assumed that Yan Xi had at last softened and eagerly asked, “Will he be coming?”
Gu Yanxi was hardly going to say that he had sent word specifically to forbid his father from appearing. He replied instead with studied ambiguity: “Gu Yanze is seriously ill.”
The Grand Empress Dowager nearly ground her teeth. She seethed at that younger son’s lack of sense. What a fine opportunity to mend relations, and he had gone and ruined it. What day was today? The wedding day of his eldest son — and he still had to attend first to that younger boy he had been attending to for the past ten years. Could he not hold off for even this one moment?
She was just about to send someone to deliver a stern reprimand and summon him, feeling that no one could possibly be absent on an occasion like this, when she heard Yan Xi add, “Let the matter rest as it is. Mutual non-interference is the best arrangement for all of us. There is no need to force anything.”
The Grand Empress Dowager studied him for a long moment, and in the end could only heave a long sigh. This grandson of hers was good in every regard — except that he had no fortune when it came to family. But at last he had the person she had begged heaven and earth to bring to him. From now on, with a home of their own, the days of happiness stretching ahead would be long; the sorrows and hurts of the past would gradually fade.
Chen Qing came striding in and bowed hastily. “The bridal procession is now only two li from the estate.”
“Is everything in readiness?”
“Yes, all is prepared.”
Gu Yanxi, with a nervous edge he could not quite suppress, straightened his robes once more — particularly the collar, which he kept feeling was a bit too tight. “There still may not be enough space. Have someone prepare another courtyard immediately.”
“Yes.” Chen Qing departed as quickly as he had come, already issuing orders as he went. This was his first time managing an event of this kind, and so terrified was he of making any misstep that he had suffered several sleepless nights in a row. But at last the master was to be married — he would gladly work himself to death for this!
Before long, the distant strains of wedding music could be faintly heard. Gu Yanxi found he could no longer sit still. He rose and turned. “Grandmother, please rest here. I shall go outside for a look.”
“The bride is not coming over just yet — what is your hurry?” The Grand Empress Dowager was caught between exasperation and amusement. He truly had no limits when it came to his devotion to this woman. His bride had not even crossed the threshold, and already he had cast his grandmother aside.
And yet, thinking of all the two of them had been through, she simply could not bring herself to detain him. She waved her hand. “Go on, go on. This old woman can look after herself.”
Gu Yanxi wasted no further time and strode briskly out.
The Prince Regent’s estate had been adorned for the occasion in the most festive fashion, with red silk everywhere, utterly transformed from its usual cold and cheerless appearance.
Knowing that the estate had no mistress, the Emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager had each sent attendants to help manage the preparations. The women of the Duke of Angu’s family had gone further still, taking up residence in the estate for the past few days to assist directly. The effect was unmistakable — the estate looked, at last, as though people truly lived there.
Today, the members of the Duke of Angu’s household had all arrived early and had been busy for some time already. The Duke caught sight of his grandson-in-law and broke into a smile. “I’ve heard tell that the Hua Family’s send-off this time is an extravagance unlike any before. You had best prepare more space — if there isn’t enough room for the display of the dowry, you’ll be the laughingstock of the city.”
“Yes.”
“No matter — if it truly cannot all fit, it can always be laid out in the main courtyard. At least it’ll be seen all the more clearly that way.” The Duke laughed, his manner easy and candid. Gu Yanxi could not very well agree to that — anything that concerned Hua Zhi could not be made too careful.