PNB Chapter 286 The wedding ceremony is complete!
Chapter 286 The wedding ceremony is complete!
Li Yuanke picked up the acacia fan and handed it to her. Shen Shixi took it and held his hand in her other hand.
Li Yuanke didn't let her land, but picked her up in one swift motion. The hem of his phoenix robe unfurled gracefully, as if the golden phoenix was about to spread its wings and take flight.
Li Yuanke accompanied her as she bid farewell to her ancestors and parents. Shen Xianzhang's tears flowed freely, and she cried so hard that her nose and eyes were a mess. She had entered the palace perfectly well, but was sent back, and now she was about to be taken away again. The old father's heart was in turmoil, which was really a test for his cardiovascular system.
A saddle was placed on a long red carpet, and Li Yuanke led her to stand in front of the saddle.
Inside the room, an incense table was set up. Shen Xianzhang and his entire family knelt before the incense table. Everyone who came to witness the ceremony knelt down without exception. The Minister of Rites was about to read out the imperial edict conferring the title of Empress.
Li Yuanke held Shen Shixi's hand, preventing her from kneeling.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In my entire life, I have never married, nor have I ever bowed to Heaven and Earth or performed a wedding ceremony with any woman."
Shen Shixi is virtuous and talented, honest and intelligent. I have known her since I was young. She is of one mind with me and has assisted me in my humble times and helped me in difficult times.
I ascended the throne thanks to the support of my ministers, and I have no worries about domestic affairs as I personally lead my campaigns! I wish to take her as my new wife, marry her as my principal wife, hold a grand wedding ceremony, establish her as my empress, and bestow upon her the title of Zhao.
"Work diligently with me, uphold the Mandate of Heaven, and reign supreme over all your people!"
The words Li Yuanke uttered at the North Gate that day, without alteration, have become today's imperial edict appointing her as Empress.
Shen Shixi looked at him, and Li Yuanke raised his hand, gently touching her cheek with the back of his hand. "You will rule the world with me!"
The Shen family expresses their gratitude!
Shen Shixi stepped over the saddle and was helped into the bridal sedan chair, where she was seen off by kneeling inside and outside the sedan chair.
The bridal sedan chair, carried by thirty-two men, was very stable.
Li Yuanke followed beside him on horseback.
It was somewhat different from a traditional wedding. First, they went to the Temple of Heaven to worship Heaven, then to the Temple of Earth to worship Earth, and only then did they take Shen Shixi back to the palace. The civil and military officials and ladies of noble families had already gathered in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple to watch the ceremony.
Today, none of the inner court ladies, that is, the concubines of the imperial harem, attended any part of the ceremony.
The bridal sedan chair entered through the Danfeng Gate, which is the main gate of the palace and one of the five gates of the emperor.
Normally only the emperor could leave, but after the palace examination, the top scholar could leave.
The sedan chair landed in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
"A blue-clad bride in a felt-covered robe, with a brocade embroidery strip spread diagonally." According to the custom of the Great Zhou Dynasty, after arriving at her husband's home, the bride's feet should not touch the ground. Instead, a mat should be used to receive the bag. The festive felt mat was spread all the way to the front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Li Yuanke led Shen Shixi into the Imperial Ancestral Temple and knelt before the ancestral tablets.
Last time, during the ceremony for the Imperial Noble Consort's investiture, she was still standing outside the threshold, but this time, she knelt with Li Yuanke in the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pay homage to the ancestors of the Li family.
After Li Yuanke offered sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the two returned to the Taiji Palace.
The Empress Dowager was already waiting here. In the presence of the guests, Li Yuanke and Shen Shixi bowed to each other to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager!
Then they would receive the kowtows of their subjects.
Then comes the wedding night.
Inside the Qian Yuan Palace, a green pavilion, also known as the Hundred Sons Tent, had been set up. Inside, dragon and phoenix red candles shone brightly, and a small low table was placed on the ground with a dish of cooked meat on it. Chopsticks and bowls were also prepared.
Today's Lady of Perfect Fortune is Princess An. Her parents are both alive, she has both a son and a daughter, and she has a harmonious marriage with Prince An. She is the most suitable candidate.
Princess An smiled and had the Emperor and Empress sit on opposite sides of a low table, with the groom to the east and the bride to the west. She then divided the meat of the same animal between them, a ceremony called "sharing the same pot," followed by drinking the nuptial wine.
The gourd was cut in half. Princess An poured a small amount of wine for Shen Shixi, but poured a lot for Li Yuanke.
"Sharing food from three separate meals, drinking from the same cup, sharing glory and hardship. Emperor and Empress united in marriage, may our love endure forever!"
After the two finished drinking the nuptial wine, Princess An closed the golden gourd and tied it with a red thread, symbolizing that the couple would be one and never be separated.
At this moment, Li Yuanke stood up, removed the betrothal tassel from Shen Shixi's head, and openly cut off a strand of hair from each of their heads, tied them into a "joint bun," tied them with a red string, put them in a brocade pouch, and handed it to Shen Shixi.
Threads intertwine, symbolizing eternal friendship.
After the two bowed to each other again, they sat on the bed with their robes tied together. A group of women began to scatter coins, which was called the "scattering of the tent ceremony". The coins scattered were newly minted coins with words such as "long life and wealth" and "eternal union" engraved on them, tied with colorful ribbons, symbolizing wealth and good fortune.
A female official presented "babies' buns," and Shen Shixi picked one and took a bite. Princess An, standing to the side, asked, "Your Majesty, will you have children?"
Shen Shixi felt a rare moment of embarrassment, paused, and then said, "Yes!"
Inside the green pavilion, everyone laughed heartily, showing great enthusiasm. Li Yuanke's lips curled up high, and his eyes reflected the glow of the dragon and phoenix wedding candles, shining like a cluster.
The Minister of Rites announced to Heaven that the ceremony was complete!
Princess An left with a smile, leaving only Shen Shixi and Li Yuanke inside the Qinglu Pavilion. The atmosphere was strangely awkward, and her heart pounded in her chest. Everything seemed unreal.
Perhaps it's because the ceremony of a wedding is so elaborate, or perhaps it's because weddings throughout history, whether sincere or not, always carry a genuine blessing from heaven, and in the grand scheme of things, the two people form a covenant.
Thus, an additional connection was created.
Li Yuanke leaned down, embraced her, and kissed her.
She still wore the heavy phoenix crown on her head, and Li Yuanke supported her by her neck. The two kissed deeply, and after a long while, he whispered in Shen Shixi's ear, "I've finally married you!"
A sigh, a hint of expectation, and a touch of regret.
Shen Shixi stroked his cheek, gazing at the ceiling of the tent, where all sorts of adorable children were embroidered so vividly. Her mind was a mess; in both her past and present lives, she had never thought of getting married.
I never imagined I would have such a grand wedding.
The whole nation celebrates!
Her upbringing taught her that all alliances are meant to be torn up, all promises are meant to be broken, and whoever takes them seriously loses.
She smiled slightly. "Li Yuanke, we still have a long road ahead of us in this life!"
She kissed him back and pushed him away, saying, "Are you going out to entertain guests? This phoenix crown is so heavy, I need to remove my makeup."
"I'll help you!"
He helped her remove the phoenix crown that had been crafted by hundreds of artisans over several years.
Any woman in this world who sees such a phoenix crown would feel that wearing it once would be enough for her entire life. He had imagined how happy she would be to see this phoenix crown, but in the end, he misjudged her.
She only felt the weight and didn't even glance at it.
She never cared about these things. No matter how much she liked a piece of jewelry or valued a piece of jewel, she would just exclaim in amazement and never thought of possessing it, much less sleeping with it.
She enjoys comfort and leisure, cares about her own feelings, and never pays attention to worldly matters, including people!
Li Yuanke suddenly felt that the phoenix crown was not worth mentioning.
Shen Shixi changed into a more comfortable dress, redid her makeup, and went to the banquet with Li Yuanke.
When he led her out of the green pavilion, his steps were still somewhat heavy.
Fireworks burst across the sky at this moment, and the guests waiting for the banquet to begin gathered in the courtyard to watch the fireworks. Although it was not a full moon night, the night sky was clear, the stars were bright, and the moonlight was enchanting. The fireworks under the sky created a peaceful scene.
When the emperor arrived, everyone bowed, except for the Wolf King of Beisha, who stood up and entered the Taiji Hall with the Emperor and Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Congratulations to the Emperor of Great Zhou on finally marrying your beautiful bride! I have come to congratulate Your Majesty and the Empress on their wedding day, and I have brought a carefully selected gift. I hope Your Majesty will not refuse it!"