Chapter 359: Is there anything more tragic than this? (1/2)
Chapter 359: Is there anything more tragic than this?
There were two types of weddings for members of Tianning’s imperial clan. One was treated as a national affair–such as when the emperor appointed an empress, or the crown prince appointed a princess consort. The same pomp went on when it was a marriage made to cement relations between two countries. The other was an internal marriage within the imperial clan itself. There were no grand ceremonies involved beyond the elders of the family witnessing the marriage rites.
By the time Han Yunxi and Long Feiye arrived at Eastern Palace, Emperor Tianhui, Empress Dowager Li, and Qinwang Rong were all already present. Even members of the imperial clan needed to perform the traditional wedding bows towards their parents and elders. The crown prince had his status, but he was no sovereign. Long Feiye and Qinwang Rong were both ranked ahead of him and counted as his elders. In the hall, Emperor Tianhui and the empress dowager had taken the seats of honor, while Qinwang Rong was situated on their left. The space on the right was reserved for Long Feiye and Han Yunxi.
Han Yunxi could feel Emperor Tianhui and Empress Dowager Li’s death stares as soon as she entered the room. Anyone else in their place would be furious and pained from the results of that charity auction. Han Yunxi understood their feelings, so she simply ignored them in favor of all the silver she’d gotten instead! They’d fought and contended with each other, but they still had considerations of face. Rulers and subjects alike kept their masks intact. After a few courteous bows, Emperor Tianhui invited them to sit down.
Han Yunxi thought that they’d be sitting for awhile, but it didn’t take long before the wedding procession returned. So fast. Did Long Tianmo run all the way back?
Is he feeling anxious, or simply impatient?
No matter the case, Mu Liuyue was close to crying inside the sedan chair. The whole trip had been so rocky that she’d nearly thrown up! She hadn’t gotten a single one of her betrothal gifts, so she’d done her best to endure. It was already bad enough that her grand wedding ceremony had been reduced to the simplest of marriage rites, but why was the bride escort party so paltry and rude as well? After getting into the sedan chair, she’d stolen peeks outside on the way to the palace, feeling stifled with every minute. Soon after, the sedan chair went faster and faster, changing her depression into outright fear. What would happen if she fell out of the carriage? She was bringing General Mu’s support to Long Tianmo, which was a great advantage for his contention for the throne. Couldn’t he treat her a little more tenderly?
The joys of getting married had long vanished, to be replaced with resentment. She didn’t even know that Han Yunxi was to blame for the entire affair. All she could do was silently curse the fact that there was a severe famine going on. Why had His Highness Duke of Qin chosen this of all times to hold a charity auction? And why did the crown prince have to show off his skills when he clearly had insufficient silver?!
Even when Han Yunxi had gotten married, she’d caused a sensation throughout the capital just by delivering herself into the Duke of Qin’s gates!
Before Mu Liuyue got off the sedan chair, she adjusted her wedding veil with a heart full of dissatisfaction. She assumed that Long Tianmo would take her hand, but it turned out to be the wedding nanny instead. Fine, then. Despite her stifled heart, she remained calm. After all, she had entered the palace now, so everything would be different from now on. She’d heard of the palace wedding rites before, but she wasn’t wholly familiar with them, so she had to rely on the wedding nanny to give her pointers. After the wedding nanny finished her long liturgy of auspicious words, she handed Mu Liuyue over to the crown prince.
Mu Liuyue couldn’t help but speculate in silence. Everything else had been done so simply, but there should be at least some pomp for the ceremony itself, right? Unfortunately, all they did was bow towards their parents, Heaven and Earth, and each other. Thus, the wedding nanny guided her to bow with Long Tianmo towards Emperor Tianhui and the empress dowager, Heaven and Earth, and each other.
“The wedding rites are complete!” the wedding nanny said in a loud voice as Mu Liuyue’s heart plummeted in disappointment!
Typically speaking, the bride should be sent to the nuptial chambers after this. But Tianning’s imperial clan had an extra custom in place, and that was for the new couple to pay their respects to their elders with tea. Han Yunxi had to do the same on the second day of her marriage to Grand Concubine Yi and then the empress dowager within the palace. She even needed to present the drop of blood on a white handkerchief.
As a princess consort, Mu Liuyue only needed to pay a call to the empress dowager and Emperor Tianhui tomorrow. But today she’d have to serve tea to all the elders present. This would allow the senior members of the imperial clan to acknowledge her new status as an imperial daughter-in-law.
By now, Mu Liuyue was already completely listless. She allowed the wedding nanny to drag her around like a rag doll as she and Long Tianmo offered up their teacups, paid their respects, and drank their tea. Together, they called Emperor Tianhui imperial father, the empress dowager imperial grandmother, and Qinwang Rong their great imperial uncle. After that, the wedding nanny brought them before Long Feiye and Han Yunxi. Mu Liuyue was already in a bad mood, but when she heard Long Tianmo call out ‘Imperial Qin Uncle,’ she felt unwell all over! Her heart was in such pain that breathing became difficult!
Imperial Qin Uncle. So he came as well. The man she’d crushed on for so many years and wanted to wed with all her heart was now actually her uncle. Was there anything more tragic than this?
Yes!
When Long Tianmo next called out ‘Imperial Qin Aunt,’ the absent-minded Mu Liuyue finally regained her senses. She nearly raised her wedding veil in a moment of impulse! She finally realized that Han Yunxi had became her imperial aunt! Long Tianmo had already finished paying his respects, but Mu Liuyue was still standing in place, unmoved. A few days ago, she’d even bragged in the alley that she’d never call Han Yunxi her imperial aunt, but now…
Still, how could a bride make a fuss here? She’d become a laughingstock. It wasn’t until the wedding nanny tugged at Mu Liuyue’s robes that she recovered her wits.
“The princess consort should pay respects to Imperial Qin Aunt with tea!” the wedding nanny still wore her professional smile as she pressed a teacup into Mu Liuyue’s hands. Mu Liuyue gritted her teeth and felt, for a brief second, regret for marrying here at all.
She offered the tea with both hands and said, “Imperial Qin Aunt, drink tea.”
“Aye…” Han Yunxi responded sweetly, but her answer was filled with meaningful words. She could imagine the expression of the bride behind the veil.
This damned girl, perhaps she’s finally learned how to be docile today.
Han Yunxi accepted the tea and finished off all its contents before she handed over a red envelope filled with traditional gifts of money for the newlyweds. “Liuyue, give birth to a son soon.”1