The journey from Xindu to Yuyang in the north would take about half a month. Madam Zhong, who had been sent by Madam Xu to prepare for the wedding, was now accompanying the young lady back north as the wedding was complete.
Wei Liang was once again tasked with escorting the young lady northward. He harbored a deep hatred for the Qiao family. Years ago, when Qiao Ping, Xiao Qiao’s father, came to pay respects at the Wei family’s funeral, Wei Liang led the charge in drawing swords against him in the mourning hall. Naturally, he held no fondness for the present-day Xiao Qiao. Upon first seeing her and learning that his lord intended to marry such a woman, he immediately labeled her a “femme fatale” in his mind. Now, being assigned to escort her to Yuyang, he was reluctant but couldn’t refuse the task given by Military Advisor Gongsun. He understood that although this Qiao woman was destined to be unwelcome, the fact that his lord had married her indicated she had some use. So, he grudgingly accepted this assignment once again.
Wei Liang prepared the horses and carriages, selected the escorts, and had Xiao Qiao’s personal belongings loaded and secured. Then he waited outside the Xin residence.
Xiao Qiao didn’t keep them waiting long. By the time she was ready, the sun had barely risen above the rooftops.
She emerged from the new bridal chamber in the Sheyang Lodge, accompanied by Chun Niang and several maids.
Chun Niang had been holding back her frustrations since the morning. If Xiao Qiao’s wedding attire had been designed to match her status as the wife of a marquis – perhaps erring on the side of maturity and grandeur beyond her actual age – her current outfit was meant to highlight her natural beauty and graceful demeanor, with just the right touch of elegance befitting her new station.
Xiao Qiao had been raised under Chun Niang’s care, and no one knew better than her just how beautiful the young woman could be.
Chun Niang had styled her hair in a “Gazing at Immortals” bun, with all her long hair piled high atop her head, adorned with Xiao Qiao’s favorite jade hairpin. A single buyao ornament, set with a pearl the size of a fingernail, was inserted at her temple. No other ornaments were needed. Her face, too, required little makeup. Too much powder would only mask her natural allure. Yesterday, Chun Niang applied heavy makeup to balance the elaborate wedding attire. This morning, she merely accentuated Xiao Qiao’s delicate eyebrows, added a touch of rouge to her lips, and dusted her cheeks lightly with Fragrant Mist powder. That was enough to make her face radiant.
Chun Niang had long known that a form-fitting quju robe, tight around the body and flaring out below the knees to trail on the ground, would best showcase Xiao Qiao’s increasingly graceful figure. Having attended Xiao Qiao’s baths, she was intimately aware of the changes in her body. Since her first monthly cycle last year, Chun Niang has watched her blossom day by day. Her bosom had quietly swelled like flower buds, possessing a unique quality and beauty distinct from mature women, indescribable to those who hadn’t seen it firsthand.
Her young mistress was only petite in frame, unlike the tall and robust women common in this region. Having just come of age, her full height had not yet been reached. Moreover, the six layers of wedding attire from the previous night had completely concealed her shapely figure. She was far from the “skinny as a rail” that those gossiping women had snidely remarked about this morning, suggesting it as the reason for Marquis Wei’s displeasure.
It was their Marquis Wei who had missed the opportunity to discover this for himself, wasn’t it?
Chun Niang couldn’t help but inwardly scoff once more. She had chosen a light watermelon-red quju for Xiao Qiao, wrapping it around her body three times before securing it with an embroidered sash. The soft silver gauze skirt peeked out from beneath. After arranging the garment, she added a fur-lined cloak with a soft cap in the color of sky incense, considering the cold and windy weather. The cloak was unadorned save for a single embroidered plum blossom branch on one side of the hem. If the wind picked up, she could don the cap for warmth. The outfit was understated yet elegant.
This travel attire, which primarily showcased her natural beauty, was perfectly balanced from head to toe. It was neither too simple, which would have detracted from her status as the new wife of a marquis, nor excessively luxurious. As she walked out gracefully into the wind, her dark hair gleamed against the jade ornament, her earrings sparkled like bright moons, her skirt swayed gently, and her eyes shone brilliantly.
The buyao at her temple glittered, casting a radiant light. From afar, she resembled a water goddess emerging from a lake, her beauty beyond compare. Even the drab, gray courtyard, stripped bare by winter, seemed to gain a touch of early spring’s vibrant beauty. As she made her way out, every servant she passed turned to look, some even forgetting to bow. Even as she walked further away, they continued to gaze at her retreating figure, unable to tear their eyes away.
Chun Niang finally felt the knot in her chest loosen a bit.
Beyond the gate ahead lay the main entrance. There were several steps to descend. Fearing that ice might remain from the previous night’s cold, Chun Niang reached out to support Xiao Qiao. As Xiao Qiao slightly lifted her skirt and lowered her head to navigate the steps, she felt Chun Niang suddenly stop beside her, then gently tug at her sleeve.
Xiao Qiao looked up to see Wei Shao standing not far away by the roadside. Next to him was a slightly thin, middle-aged man with three tufts of beard. He had a gaunt face with bright eyes, his complexion suggesting a touch of consumption. He appeared to be one of Wei Shao’s civil officials.
Chun Niang had previously inquired and learned that Wei Shao had a strategist named Gongsun Yang, whom he greatly relied on and often kept by his side. Seeing this middle-aged man accompanying him now, she guessed it must be him. From their appearance, it seemed they had just passed by and happened to encounter them.
Xiao Qiao noticed Wei Shao’s eyes sweep over her, his face expressionless. She hesitated briefly, then continued walking as if nothing had happened. As she drew near, she put on a smile and addressed him, “Husband.”
The middle-aged man beside him had already bowed to her, introducing himself as Gongsun Yang, the Military Advisor to the Marquis. As he spoke, his face bore a smile, and his attitude was very respectful.
Xiao Qiao also smiled, nodding slightly to Gongsun Yang in acknowledgment. Then, turning back to Wei Shao, she said, “I shall depart now. As I will no longer be able to attend to you, my husband, I hope you will take good care of yourself.” After a slight curtsy, she turned and left without giving him another glance.
Wei Shao seemed to be momentarily stunned, his brow furrowing slightly as his gaze fixed on her back.
Although Chun Niang harbored much dissatisfaction towards Wei Shao, she dared not show any disrespect on the surface upon this encounter. Seeing that Xiao Qiao had already walked away, she quickly bowed to Wei Shao, glanced at the man surnamed Gongsun, then turned and hurried after her mistress.
“My Lord, are you truly not going to escort the Lady out of the city?” Once Xiao Qiao’s figure had faded into the distance, Gongsun Yang advised once more, “In my opinion, it would be best for you to see her off at the city gates. According to the Zhou Rites for marriage ceremonies, matrimony is an alliance. Although social customs have declined these days, the ruler’s marriage and union are still matters that please the common people – it is a principle of human relations.
Yesterday was the grand wedding, and today the Lady departs northward. While we can attribute the haste to the pressing matters of war, it would not be appropriate to omit even these few steps of escorting her out of the city. No matter how busy you are with affairs of state, my Lord, this should not be neglected. If you don’t accompany her, it might cause the citizens to doubt.”
…
As Xiao Qiao exited the main gate, Wei Liang and Madam Zhong came forward to greet her. She boarded the lead carriage, and Wei Liang, Madam Zhong, and the others took their positions. Just as they were about to depart, they suddenly saw Wei Shao emerge. They hurried to greet him.
“Prepare a horse. I will escort her out of the city.”
Xiao Qiao, already seated in the carriage, suddenly heard Wei Shao’s voice drifting from behind. Out of curiosity, she couldn’t help but lift the curtain slightly to peek. She saw him standing at the steps of the main gate, waiting for someone to bring a horse. His profile was turned towards her, and he seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, as if sensing the furtive gaze from behind, he turned his face, his eyes meeting the direction of Xiao Qiao’s carriage.
Xiao Qiao immediately withdrew, dropping the curtain with a snap.
…
The procession set off onto the main street.
At this hour, the streets were gradually filling with people. Passersby, seeing the line of carriages and horses coming from the direction of the Xin residence, with a large carriage in the center surrounded by escorts and guards, and Wei Shao riding alongside, began to gather around, hailing him as their lord. After a street or two, the crowd grew larger, and somehow the news spread that the new marchioness was seated in the central carriage. It was said that due to the pressing matters of war, the marquis could only send his bride north the day after their wedding. Though reluctant to part, he had no choice but to personally escort her out of the city. The emotions of the populace gradually became stirred, and some began to offer loud greetings to the unseen lady in the carriage. Others quickly followed suit.
Seated inside the carriage, Xiao Qiao could hear the people outside offering their respects and wishing her a safe journey.
In this era, although Confucian teachings of male superiority and discouragement of remarriage for women were beginning to be advocated by those in power, social customs were still much more open-minded compared to later times. There were no strict restrictions on noblewomen showing their faces in public. In Yanzhou, when Xiao Qiao’s mother was still alive, she would take both Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao to the Flower Goddess Temple every year in the third month to participate in the Shangsi Festival, an important celebration. On those bright spring days, they would ride in open carriages, accepting the greetings of the commoners they encountered along the way, sharing in the people’s joy. Hearing the growing clamor on both sides, Xiao Qiao asked Chun Niang to raise the curtains on both sides so she could smile and nod in acknowledgment to the people lining the streets.
The city’s residents, of course, knew nothing of the old grudge between the Wei and Qiao families. Since Wei Shao was quite popular among the people, they naturally held the same goodwill towards his new bride. Moved by the couple’s separation so soon after their wedding, they gathered to see her off. When she finally showed her face and returned their greetings, sitting gracefully in the center of the carriage, her elegance and divine beauty evident, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze passing through a peach and plum orchard, approachable and kind, everyone felt as if the marchioness was acknowledging them personally as her gaze swept by. Cheers erupted, and regardless of gender, people followed the carriage, their numbers growing, crowding both sides of the road just to catch another glimpse of her.
Xiao Qiao had initially shown her face and smiled at the people out of a sense of duty as the marquis’s wife. She hadn’t expected such a large crowd to follow and send her off. Seeing more people running towards them in the distance, fearing that the crowd might grow too large and potentially cause a stampede, she waved to the nearby citizens, indicating that they need not accompany her further, and then lowered the carriage curtains.