The Empress waved her hand as everyone in the room paused in their task to greet her. The servants silently retreated once the old servant who served under the Empress gestured to the servants to leave.In a few seconds, only Mingyue, Ah Zhen, and the old servant left to accompany both mother and daughter.
The Empress glance at Mingyue and smiled. As her aunt, the Empress, had heard how Mingyue had disappeared, trying to save the Princess. She heard that her niece had returned to Da Cheng a few weeks ago but had not the chance to come and talk to her as she was busy with the Princess" wedding preparation.
"You"re here too," the Empress said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Mingyue bowed politely.
"Rise," the Empress said. "Once the wedding is over, you should find time to come over and visit me in the palace. You have returned for a while, but I haven"t had the chance to thank you for what you have done for Lingchen."
"It was my negligence. I should have come and visited you once I return," Mingyue said.
"Even if you come to visit me earlier, I"m afraid that I won"t be able to see you," the Empress said. "There are so many things to do to prepare for this wedding."
Mingyue smiled. "Then, I arrange for a time to come and visit you later."
The Empress nodded. Then, she walked over to her daughter. She glanced at the comb on the table and lifted it. "I will help you to comb your hair."
After today, the Princess will be a married woman. Having gone through her wedding a few years ago, Mingyue could guess that there are a lot of things that the Empress was going to say to her daughter. With that thought, Mingyue took her chance to retreat.
However, instead of talking, the mother and daughter stayed in silence. Once the Empress finished combing, Ah Zhen stepped forward with a tray of hairpins. The Empress slipped in a hairpin and placed her hands on the Princess" shoulder. She looked at the Princess" reflection in the bronze mirror and smiled.
Sometimes, she felt sorry that her daughter was born in the royal family. She wished for her daughter to live a carefree life.
However, as the Empress can no longer have another child, and the Emperor had refused to take any concubines, her daughter had to carry a heavy burden on her shoulder.
It was not against Da Cheng"s law to have a girl inheriting the throne. However, it would not be easy for a daughter to inherit the throne as most people look down on them.
Ever since the Princess was small, she was taught with the knowledge that she would need once she ascended the throne. The Princess was very obedient to follow whatever arrangement her father had for her.
The Empress knew that her daughter looked up at her father and would do things to please him. In the end, every time the Princess took a step, she would consider everything as her responsibility as a Princess, including this marriage.
"Lingchen, I can only wish for you to have a peaceful marriage," the Empress talk in a soft voice. "Although you did not marry out of love, I hope that this person you"re marrying will be someone you can get along with."
Hearing her mother"s words, the Princess" lips curved into a smile. "You don"t have to worry. Lu Wei is someone that I can get along with."
Though the Empress knew that her daughter was only trying to appease her, she was still surprised by the Princess" calmness. It seemed that the relationship between her daughter and his soon to be son-in-law was not as bad as she thought.
"Then, I have nothing to worry about," the Empress said. She stayed for a while to give a few marriage advice to her daughter and left to busy herself with the wedding preparation.
Two hours later, Princess Lingchen was all dressed up in her red wedding dress and elaborate hairstyle. The old servant placed a red veil on her head, and she was ready.
A eunuch announced with a loud, shrilly voice that the bridegroom has arrived.
When she walked out with the help of her maidservants, Princess Lingchen could hear the music outside was getting louder and the surrounding was very lively.
However, at that moment, instead of getting nervous, the Princess could only think about the ma.s.sive wedding headdress on her head. Back then, at Mingyue"s wedding, she did not see her cousin wearing such a heavy headdress.
As Princess Lingchen was thinking about the headdress, she caught a glimpse of a man"s dark red wedding shoes in front of her. A wedding attendant took the Princess" hand and put it in the man"s hand as she spoke auspicious words.
Looking at the bright red surrounding her, Princess Lingchen wondered why she had to cover her head with a red veil. She thought that it was troublesome since her eyesight was blocked. Then, her mind wandered off, and she started to think, since she could not see anything, then what will happen if the man beside him was not the person she was supposed to marry?
"Are you anxious?"
Hearing the familiar voice next to her ear, Princess Lingchen wanted to move away, but the heavy headdress was making it hard for her head to turn. "What?"
"You"re clenching your hands on my arms a bit too hard," Lu Wei said.
His voice slowly calmed her down. At least she can now forget about the scene where someone had changed her groom to someone else. "This headdress is very heavy. I just thought that I need to be really careful lest I misstep and fall."
Lu Wei chuckled at her answer.
The wedding attendant announced something, and later, Lu Wei led the Princess into the carriage before he climbed on a horse. He had successfully picked up the bride, and now, they will have to return to a temporary palace to continue the wedding procedure.