Free Web NovelChapter 1074: Chapter 258: Lord Pingye! (Part 3)
Accompanying them were two rows of soldiers dressed in red.
One row was the imperial guards, and the other was the Blue Luan army.
What they held were not sharpened weapons but ceremonial items like round hammers and golden fans, highlighting the solemnity of the royal family and the Qu Clan.
A red carpet was rolled out from the entrance of the inner courtyard all the way outside, while a group of servants placed benches at regular intervals along the carpet.
The door of the bedchamber was pushed open, and the Makeup Ladies and those with imperial mandates entered in an orderly manner, while the princess had changed into a white undergarment, sitting upright at the bedside.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The princess’s gaze slowly swept over the group of women before her.
Finally,
she raised her hand,
and said:
"You may rise."
...
Lord Zheng was still in the inner courtyard and had not left.
The people of the Qu Family would not suggest he leave, because they knew he was brought by the Regent Prince.
Moreover, having a high disciple of Master Yao observing the entire wedding was something that could add to the prestige of the Qu Family.
Although, this prestige might be a bit tainted.
Amidst a scene of well-organized busy preparations,
dawn broke,
the princess began her grooming and dressing since the early hours, and over there, the bridal party of the Qu Family also set off before dawn.
Qu Peiluo was riding what looked like a rhinoceros, which was probably a demonic beast, its horns draped with red ribbons, and he was dressed in festive groom attire.
Qu Peiluo undoubtedly had an exceptionally handsome face, conveying an impression of elegance and peerless charm on this day.
Beside Qu Peiluo, there were 108 riders on white horses accompanying him.
Horses were also scarce in the Chu region. The initial entrapment of the Blue Luan army in Jade Plate City was due to it being primarily an infantry force, and without the support of wild cavalry, it stood no chance against the encirclement of the Yan State’s cavalry corps.
Therefore, gathering these 108 high-quality white horses surely wasn’t easy, for these white horses were free of blemishes, and the Qu Clan must have prepared for a long time.
Yet, all this seemed truly worth it, as the visual effect was indeed stunning.
However, it was not yet time for the groom to enter the courtyard.
The eunuch announcer took out the imperial edict and began to read;
this imperial edict had actually long arrived, and even if the Regent Prince hadn’t come, the edict would still be read at this moment.
The edict first commended the Qu Clan as a pillar of the Chu for their outstanding contributions, then voiced future hopes, and finally pointed out the main purpose of the marriage and conveyed the Emperor’s blessings.
"Groom, receive the edict."
"This minister, Qu Peiluo, receives the edict!"
After Qu Peiluo received the edict, the white horse escorts around him let out a low cheer.
Immediately after,
a loud and long horn sounded,
and many musicians began to play the melody of Chu.
Among the four major states, the one that retained the customs of Xia the best wasn’t Qian State, which was established on the traditional territory of Xia, but Chu.
The Chu people have a penchant for romance, pursuing casualness and freedom; every spring and summer, one can often see Chu men and women running barefoot along the riverside, exhibiting the demeanor of heroic warriors.
Yet in cultural customs, the Chu people are exceedingly archaic, holding ancient rites beyond contempt.
Two seemingly extremely opposing elements coexisted harmoniously among the Chu people, merging and thriving together.
The music was beautiful, grand with an undertone of the vicissitudes of time.
Lord Zheng, holding a charcoal pencil against a drawing board, closed his eyes, momentarily lost in the music.
It wasn’t until the crack of whips rang outside that Zheng Fan awoke and opened his eyes.
Mr. Chen stood beside Zheng Fan, saying, "You seemed quite captivated."
Zheng Fan nodded, saying, "When I return, I need to let the blind man organize a band."
In fact, the blind man had long had this idea because he liked to play the erhu in his spare time, often gathering a few people to play together after official duties.
Whenever he conducted ideological education lessons for the soldiers at night, there would also be cultural performances; the blind man had already come up with the ’Song of Lord Pingye Breaking the Formation.’
"I don’t understand poetry or music, but I know they are beautiful," said Mr. Chen.
"Yes, indeed."
"Blessings for the groom!"
"Blessings for the groom!"
Qu Peiluo came in, and within the inner courtyard, many armored soldiers knelt, and the maids and servants also knelt to greet him.
Behind Qu Peiluo followed a group of Qu clan members carrying baskets, distributing red envelopes, which were essentially gift money for acknowledging well wishes, and almost everyone present received one.
Lord Zheng remembered that in the last letter Chengjue sent, he mentioned that this wedding was much like decorating a house.
It’s fine if you want to organize it with some elegance, but if you spend enough silver, then no matter how low the elegance, it can’t fall too far.
Even Zheng Fan received a red envelope.
However, Zheng Fan’s red envelope was personally handed by Qu Peiluo.
Lord Zheng reached out and accepted a small box, which was quite heavy; if it were silver, it would be somewhat inadequate, so it should be gold ingots.
Amusing, isn’t it?
Qu Peiluo gave him gold.
But Lord Zheng accepted it, while also congratulating him:
"Blessings for the groom."
"Thank you, Mr. Su."
Qu Peiluo probably still hoped that "Su Mingzhe" would write a poem for his grand wedding, so he included a fee for it, but what he didn’t know was that Lord Zheng also had an eye on something.
